A future of non-surgical approaches in interventional cardiology
We live in a fortunate time of fast evolving medical advances. Many illnesses once rendered as fatal, can now be easily cured as the final days of the scalpel are fast approaching their use by date.
Heart attacks are caused by a narrowing or blockage of coronary arteries or blood vessels supplying blood and oxygen to the heart. These arteries can now be simply unblocked by tiny balloons, which are painlessly fed into the vessel using a keyhole method. Using the same technique, skilled physicians insert metal stents, which act as a hollow scaffold or fence to prevent these same vessels from getting blocked again.
However, this is only the beginning. Blockages in blood vessels don’t only occur in the heart, but can also appear in the brain, feet and any location in between.
Where a sharp, cold scalpel blade was once the only option offered to rectify this condition, balloons and stents are now not only deemed a reliable alternative, but in many situations, are often cited as the preferred choice.
Balloons and stents are evolving, becoming smaller and more maneuverable, while their future counterparts will be dissolvable (bio-absorbable). Interestingly, several months after a patient undergoes heart surgery, doctors find there are no traces of the stent used.
The rapidly developing nature of medial research and advances in heart surgery doesn’t stop here. Medical devices are revolutionising the way we practice medicine.
An individual born with a small congenital hole in the heart may later experience potential problems such as strokes, severe shortness of breath and even heart failure during their adult years. These patients were once reliant on open-heart surgery with the likelihood of pain and several weeks in recovery. Using a keyhole approach, devices can now be painlessly inserted into and across these holes, resulting in an almost instantaneous ‘cure’ requiring overnight surgery.
This approach can also be applied to malfunctioning heart valves. Imagine a brand new heart valve being placed via keyhole surgery. This poses the question: will our children even know what open-heart surgery is?
Hopefully not.
This is only a brief glimpse into the modern world of medicine where the surgeons, table and instruments are fast becoming accounts of events and procedures that will be learned not from medical textbooks, but in history books.
