Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGWA3Q0NTV5/This groundbreaking valve is custom-printed for each adult and pediatric patient.  Created by Georgia Tech bioengineers using shape memory material, the folded valve is introduced in a catheter.  Once in place, it resorbs over time after providing a scaffold for the patient’s own body to regenerate and reconstruct it with tissue over time.  Currently available tissue valves of animal origin lack this ability.  This rebuilding feature is particularly valuable for pediatric patients with constantly growing hearts.   Currently, these 3D printed Bioresorbable valves have only been tested in a left heart simulator.  Once they are ready for human use, they could save kids from the need for multiple open heart surgical valve replacements…… someday soon.https://research.gatech.edu/feature/heart-valves#3dprinting #heart #valves #growing #children