More information on no-surgery valve repair
Doctors around the world are testing the safety and effectiveness of repairing or replacing heart valves without surgery. These new techniques are generally done by approaching the heart from a blood vessel in the groin. You can see short movies showing how this might be done at several industry Web sites, including Edwards Lifesciences, Evalve, and Sadra Medical.
Just because doctors can repair or replace failing heart valves without surgery, we don't know if doing this works as well as the traditional open-heart approach. Trials of through-the-circulatory-system approaches registered with the National Institutes of Health that are recruiting participants include:
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.