Scientists from Yale University have developed a “biological bypass” around a life-threatening blocked artery. The research could reduce or even eliminate the need for invasive surgery while preventing heart attacks before they become an issue.
“Instead of doing a surgical bypass or stenting, you could induce the growth of new arteries with a biological bypass,” said Michael Simons, a doctor at Yale University and co-author of a recent paper in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. “This would be a major step in how we treat cardiovascular disease.”
Clogged arteries can kill a person through heart attacks, strokes and other medical emergencies. For years doctors have cleaned clogged blood vessels by inserting a balloon into an artery and expanding it. The balloon compresses fatty deposits that build up on the walls of arteries, and opens blood vessels. If the vessel is plugged beyond repair, doctors remove the offending artery and replace it with another blood vessel, usually one from the patients leg — an invasive and costly procedure.
Cool
I take issue with the statements you copied: First, “For years doctors have CLEANED clogged blood vessels by inserting a balloon into an artery and expanding it.” There is no cleaning, just stretching the blood vessels to create a larger path. Anything leaving the surface of the stretched blood vessel heads to the brain and could cause ministrokes in the smaller blood vessels.
And they go on to say: “The balloon compresses fatty deposits that build up on the walls of arteries, and opens blood vessels..” Another dusy! Fat is not compressable! It IS stretchable.
But then the plaque all builds up again/shrinks down and the procedure needs to be repeated – for another physician payday.
In a few years this procedure will look as modern as stretching torture victims on the rack (to come to 24 in a late episode!).
Will Yale patent the process so that it is out of reach for most folks, or, even more importantly, will insurances cover this? I would think they’d want to if it reduces or eliminates the costly surgeries that are usually needed.
I guess I’m jaded too. Conservatives will find some way to block or delay this advance. Simply because it is an advance. I can hear the ‘It’s not God’s will’ or it’s ‘tinkering with nature’ bullshit now.
Wow, we spend all this time trying to inhibit angiogenesis in the treatment of cancer, and now they want to stimulate it in cardiovascular disease? I don’t think I’ll be getting too excited about the future of this treatment just yet…