Dutch Kiki Bleeker was the first patient in the Benelux to receive a newly developed biological heart valve. This valve has great potential especially for young heart patients.
The placement of the biological heart valve was done by cardiothoracic surgeon Willem Suyker of the UMC Utrecht. He recommended the valve himself to 27-year-old Kiki. "This valve is very promising for the surgical treatment of heart valve defects, especially for people with an active lifestyle."
No blood thinners
Damaged or defective heart valves are now usually replaced by mechanical valves. Although these last a lifetime, the disadvantage of this is that, as a patient, you also have to take anticoagulants throughout your life. With the existing biological heart valves, the patient only has to take blood thinners for a few months, but the heart valve needs to be replaced after 10 to 15 years. The hope is that this new biological heart valve will last a lifetime.
Tissue
The new valve, called Inspiris Resilia Valve, was developed by the company Edwards Lifesciences. It took 10 years to make the valve. The three heart valve leaflets in this new biological heart valve are made from bovine tissue and processed with a new preservation technology. As a result, calcium deposits are less likely to form on the petals, the main cause of valve wear. Moreover, the new tissue technology allows the valve to be stored dry instead of, as is currently done, in liquid.
Furthermore, the valve has an expandable rim that allows doctors to more easily insert a second valve via the groin, should this ever be necessary. "In short, a substantial health gain on several fronts," Suyker said.
An also 27-year-old woman from London was the very first patient in the world to receive the new heart valve in May. Several more operations followed, including Kiki's open-heart surgery.
Long term
While the valve is indeed promising and has shown good results in animal tests, it remains to be seen how it reacts in a human body. The makers are not yet sure that the valve can actually last a lifetime.
"If this valve is indeed proven to last for life, it does mean a shift," Bert van Rossum, vice-president of the Dutch Society of Cardiology, told Radio 1. "Then we could offer biological valves to a younger category of patients."
A mechanical heart valve costs between 2,000 and 2,500 euros, a biological valve about 1,000 euros more. The new valve from Edwards Lifesciences is on average 500 to 1000 euros more expensive than the long-established variants. UMC Utrecht expects to have budget for about 15 similar operations this year.
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: Edwards Lifesciences
