A new polymer-based artificial heart valve could prove to be a game-changer for valve replacement surgery, giving clinicians an option that lasts up to 25 years and does not require prescribing anticoagulation medications. The new device, PoliValve, is still a work in progress, but a long-term efficacy trial appears to be on the horizon.
The researchers behind PoliValve shared their latest data in Biomaterials Science, noting that it could provide clinicians with a new alternative to traditional biological and mechanical valves. Initial testing with animal subjects is ongoing, the team reported, and funding has already been acquired for long-term in-vivo testing.
“These impressive results show the PoliValve is a promising alternative for valve replacement surgery,” co-corresponding author and co-senior author Geoff D. Moggridge, a professor at the University of Cambridge in the U.K., said in a prepared statement. “While further testing is needed, we think it could make a major difference to the hundreds of thousands of patients who get valve replacement surgery every year.”