Hyderabad surgeon develops US-patented heart valve to prevent blood clots
Hyderabad, Nov 10 (TNT): Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at STAR Hospitals and Sajja heart Foundation Chairman Dr Lokeswara Rao Sajja, has developed a novel heart valve designed to prevent blood clot formation, potentially reducing the need for lifelong blood-thinning medication among patients undergoing mechanical heart valve replacement.
The newly developed valve, which has received a US patent, showed promising results in animal experiments, remaining free of blood clots for more than five months without the use of blood-thinning drugs, the STAR Hospitals said in a release on Tuesday.
The research findings have been published in two international scientific journals, Nature Scientific Reports and PLOS One.
Currently, patients undergoing mechanical heart valve replacement are required to take blood-thinning medication throughout their lives to prevent clot formation. However, prolonged use of these drugs carries risks, including excessive bleeding and other complications, besides requiring regular blood tests and lifestyle precautions.
The challenges are particularly significant for pregnant women and athletes, as anticoagulant medication can complicate pregnancy and restrict participation in certain sporting activities.
Dr Sajja said the experimental findings were encouraging and could have significant implications for heart valve replacement if they were successfully validated through human clinical trials.
If confirmed in human studies, the technology could help patients avoid lifelong anticoagulant medication, particularly younger people requiring durable valve replacements, pregnant women and athletes, he said.
The development could represent a potential advancement in mechanical heart valve technology, although its safety and effectiveness in humans will need to be established through clinical studies.
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