• Stem cell research is being applied to congenital heart disease. Found in bone marrow, lymphatic tissue and embryos, immature stem cells can differentiate into specific, specialized body cells, including cardiac muscle cells. In animal studies, for example, bone marrow stem cells have evolved into cardiac cells after they were injected into damaged heart muscle. These results, however, have yet to be duplicated in human beings, and any benefits from stem cell therapy may be years away.

  • Robotically-assisted surgery is showing benefit for both simple and complex mitral valve repairs. Robotic surgery involves voice-activated robotic “hands” at the operating table, with the cardiac surgeon manipulating the hand controls. The surgeon views the procedure through an endoscope, a slim optical tube with an attached camera positioned inside the chest. Advantages of this and similar procedures are small incisions, less surgical trauma and a shorter operative and recovery period.

  • Cells from a patient’s own blood vessels can be “grown” over biological valves taken from pigs or human cadavers. Scientists remove the cells from the biological valve, leaving only elastic tissue that retains the valve’s shape. The patient’s cultured cells are then grown over the elastic tissue. After about one year, the new valve is implanted into the patient. It has been shown that this procedure resulted in fewer post-operative complications (e.g., fever, hospital stay) compared to conventional valve replacement.

  • Surgeons are exploring heart valve replacement without the need for open-heart surgery. Typically, diseased or defective valves are replaced with an artificial valve or a tissue valve (from a pig or cow). A new, less invasive procedure, known as percutaneous transcatheter heart valve implantation, involves the use of balloon catheters and large stents introduced through a puncture in the skin (in the groin area, near the femoral vein). The new heart valve is transported via the stent to the site, where the stent is then expanded to implant the valve. For patients not able to undergo open-heart surgery, due to age and/or physical condition, percutaneous heart valve implantation may impact significantly on survival and quality of life.

  • Studies are evaluating whether medical (drug) therapy can offer improvement in aortic stenosis. Stenosis can develop due to a buildup of calcium, causing decreased mobility in the aortic valve. This calcium buildup is a form of atherosclerosis. Statins, a type of cholesterol-reducing drug, have shown to be effective in reducing calcium deposits in and around the heart. Therefore, there is interest in this class of drugs for the treatment of aortic stenosis. In early studies, researchers found that, while lower cholesterol levels did not impact on aortic stenosis, statins slowed its progression. This could be due to its effect and reducing C-reactive protein and overall inflammation around the heart – another cause of atherosclerosis.

  • Treating calcification of the aortic valve with ACE inhibitors is also being explored. These are medications that block the effects of angiotensin-converting enzymes, which normally have a role in blood pressure. It is believed that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is transported by low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, so–called “bad” cholesterol) into areas damaged by plaque, contributing to calcification.