New heart discovery in Norfolk could spare patients from risky procedures
Researchers at the University of East Anglia discover new information about the heart, meaning fewer patients having unnecessary surgery
A new study, published today ( 28th May) has revealed how hidden vessels in your heart, could help decide who really needs complex and risky surgery.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have found that the heart can develop its own, “natural bypass” system.
This system is made up off tiny collateral blood vessels—that keeps tissue alive even when a major artery has been fully blocked for months
These hidden vessels can indicate whether heart muscle beyond a blockage is still alive.
This discovery could help doctors decide who actually needs risky procedures to reopen blocked arteries.
Academic cardiologist at University of East Anglia, Dr Pankaj Garg said:
"This is very interesting and a very important finding because this allows doctors and cardiologists to identify patients who may benefit with further tests to evaluate whether they have a heart muscle which is alive or which is not alive"
He said that the reason behind the research, is avoid complex procedures.
It may also lead to faster treatment decisions, fewer unnecessary surgeries and better targeting of advanced scans, like MRIs.
"When you identify a blocked heart artery, the go-to would be to open up that blood vessel.
And that's usually not simple, It's a very complex procedure. It can put the patient at risk.
So it's always important to know if you're doing the right thing for the patient," he said.
What this study means for patients suffering from a blocked artery, is that a doctor can guide a treatment plan for effectively, and undergo further testing, before operating.
The study has taken two years and recruiting 56 patients to be involved was one of the hardest parts:
"These patients are not easy patients to recruit and find,
So from a large database, we identified them and began two years ago."