An in-depth article from The Guardian in the United Kingdom investigates the development of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and artificial implants. A primer for those in cardiology, the piece examines just what lies ahead in terms of technological development. 3D printing, improvements in catheterization, farming transgenic pigs—cardiology will be impacted by ideas that were once thought to be the stuff of science fiction.
"Much of the most exciting contemporary research focuses on the greatest, most fundamental cardiac question of all: what can the surgeon do about the failing heart?" Thomas Morris, author of the piece, asks. "Half a century after Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant, transplantation remains the gold standard of care for patients in irreversible heart failure once drugs have ceased to be effective. It is an excellent operation, too, with patients surviving an average of 15 years. But it will never be the panacea that many predicted, because there just aren’t enough donor hearts to go round."
Read the full article here:
Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.