You may have heard in the news recently about the comic/actor Robin Williams heart valve replacement surgery which took place in Cleveland Clinic on 13 March and corrected three problems. The surgical team replaced the aortic valve, repaired the mitral valve and corrected an irregular heartbeat.

He had experienced shortness of breath during his Weapons of Self Destruct tour. This is a common symptom as many people who are affected in the same way with heart related problems will testify.

Apparently the operation lasted 3 hours and thankfully he is expected to make a full recovery. The operation  was a complete success and Doctor Marc Gillnov who treated him is reported to have said that his heart is strong and he will have a normal heart function in the coming weeks with no limitations in what he can do.

Heart valve replacement as we all know is a major operation requiring open heart surgery and along with the benefits there are associated risks. It is encouraging to learn that advances are being made all the time and minimal evasive heart valve replacement surgery being one of the methods gradually being introduced.

Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is now conducting clinical trials with minimal invasive heart valve replacement which involves the procedure of inserting a catheter into an incision in the groin area and passing a balloon through the artery to the heart which is unfurled and implanted when in the correct position.

However, I recently read an article in the Daily Mail reporting another pioneering treatment concerning the use of stem cell treatment to grow new blood vessels to the heart negating the need to replace diseased or damaged heart valves superseding even minimally invasive heart valve replacement.

The article reported the case of Barbro Lowed a retired air hostess who is 61 years of age and lives in London. She suffered with shortness of breath which were the same symptoms Robin Williams had experienced. In addition her feet became very swollen and she became dizzy and out of breath walking to the shops.

She was advised that she had heart failure due to a damaged heart valve which meant that her heart was not pumping the blood around her body fast enough. She was further advised that she required a plastic replacement valve pretty quickly otherwise the problem would become worse endangering her life in the process. The problem was, she would have to wait 2 years under the National Health for the operation.

Luckily she had read in the Daily Mail about a man in Germany who had been cured of heart failure using stem cells which were taken from his bone marrow and implanted in to his heart. She was also lucky enough to be accepted by Professor Andreas Zeiher in his pioneering stem cell treatment program and in February 2005 she flew to Frankfurt and had the operation which was successful.

The operation does not involve open heart surgery and was completed in three days. Stem cell treatment is less risky than other procedures and best of all it cures the problem completely as opposed to just effecting a repair. Transplanting the cells is a simple 15 minute procedure after the stem cells are harvested from the bone marrow which are collected via a syringe taken from a 2mm incision at the hip. The procedure is carried out under a local anaesthetic.

This is sent to the laboratory, the stem cells are extracted and injected into the blood vessels suplying the heart. Four to six weeks after this the heart grows in strength and starts to pump blood faster. All in all, the news that this treatment has been tried and tested must be welcome and exciting news to the many people who are suffering from heart related problems. 

The operation cost Barbro £7,000 in 2005 and may be available for those lucky enought to be able to afford it but let us hope that it may not be too long before this treatment is available to all of us on the NHS.

Barbro’s damaged heart was thought to have been caused by an infection she had contracted a couple of years before when she had two teeth removed which just illustates the fact that heart disease can befall anyone of any age or constitution.

To Your Success.

Robert Burke