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“font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;”> WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health scientists say the first artificial heart valve designed to be implanted without major surgery appears to help patients who are too frail to undergo chest-opening surgery.
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“font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;”> The Food and Drug Administration has posted its review of a highly anticipated heart valve from Edwards Lifesciences, which can be threaded into place through one of the body’s major arteries. Cardiologists hope this approach could offer a new option for old, sickly patients who cannot undergo the more invasive open heart surgery, which has been used to replace valves for decades.
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“font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;”> FDA says more patients who received Edwards’ valve were living after one year than those who did not receive the device in a company study. However, scientists are also concerned about higher rates of stroke and bleeding in the brain.
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