Shanghai medics develop innovative synthetic heart valve

Ti Gong

Local medical experts have developed a new synthetic heart valve with longer and wider usage than the current biological valves, which use tissue from pigs or cows.

The Shanghai-developed valve using polymer nanomaterial can last 20 to 25 years, while ordinary valves using animal tissue only last 10 to 15 years. And the synthetic valve has fewer complications.

The world's first patient given the new valve was discharged from the Zhongshan Hospital on Tuesday.

The aortic valve inserted through a minimally invasive procedure known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, was introduced in clinical practice 20 years ago.

So far, over 1.25 million patients around the world have benefited from the treatment. Compared with open-chest surgery, TAVR has less trauma, quicker recovery and fewer complications.

The artificial valve using tissue from pigs or cows needs more processing, is more expensive and is difficult to trim to fit.

Its usual life span is 10 to 15 years, according to Dr Ge Junbo from Zhongshan Hospital's cardiology department.

Polymer is seen as a promising alternative to solve the disadvantages of animal tissue valves.

Ti Gong

Ge's team worked with a local pharmaceutical company to develop the world's first heart valve with polymer nanotechnology.

The first patient, an 80-year-old man, received TAVR using the new valve and his heart condition and function improved quickly and he was soon discharged.

Zhongshan Hospital President Fan Jia said the hospital is working hard to be recognized as a national medical center in building Shanghai's International Medical Creation Center through research on new vaccines, innovative medicine and high-end medical equipment to achieve a transformation in basic research, clinical research and innovative practices.

"We hope to see more 'first in China' and 'first in the world' born in our hospital in the future," Fan said.