They also presented their findings at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in November 1998. During the surgery, doctors repair the heart's mitral valve by inserting a small ring made of silicone in the valve's opening. The valve regulates blood flow between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. But in heart failure patients, the valves leak and blood pools in the left atrium. The surgery doesn't cure patients and they must continue their medication after the procedure, but it lessens the workload on the left ventricle and may help the heart muscle heal, the researchers note.
Doctors routinely perform a similar type of operation on healthier heart valve patients.
Half of the patients in the group will undergo the surgery and take medications, while the others receive only the medications. Funding for the study came from the three manufacturers of the rings. Dr. Bolling is a paid consultant to those companies, a University of Michigan press release states. Heart Association Meeting Report, Nov. 9, 1998. All rights reserved.