Q. What are the latest advances in cardiology?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
The field of cardiology continues to develop rapidly, with new and improved treatments appearing on the market all the time. Here are some of the most exciting recent advances in cardiology:
Stem Cell Therapy – Studies show that stem cells can be used to treat certain heart diseases, such as heart failure or ischemic cardiomyopathy. Stem cell therapy has been successful in repairing damaged cardiac tissue, improving blood flow throughout the cardiovascular system, and restoring normal electrical activity of cardiac muscle cells.
Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (MIDCAB) – MIDCAB is a minimally invasive technique for treating coronary artery blockage without open-heart surgery . This procedure uses a small incision between two ribs rather than opening one’s chest cavity completely as previously required for traditional bypass grafting procedures . This minimizes trauma to surrounding tissue, making it an attractive option for many individuals who need heart surgery but may not be able to tolerate traditional methods due to age or other medical issues .
Tissue Engineered Heart Valves – With this newer technology , physicians can now rebuild diseased or failing heart valves with living tissues taken from donors. The use of tissue engineering technology provides patients with viable replacements that closely resemble their original ones while avoiding inflammation and infection risks associated with artificial valves .
Image Guided Catheter Ablation - Cardiac catheter ablation is an image guided procedure used to treat irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia caused by electrical disturbances within the heart's electrical conduction system . Recent developments incorporate 3D mapping along catheters which allow doctors greater precision when targeting specific areas requiring treatment allowing them more accuracy during deflections resulting in better patient outcomes overall .