New parts for all. Here we go
Looks like growing new parts is moving along briskly.
I could use a nice new Thoritsu pulmonic valve. Mine is busy being an aortic valve, with a 28 yr old's pumonic valve as a stunt double. (motorcycles are for organ donors)
Progress? Seems objectively good. Agree?
I could use a nice new Thoritsu pulmonic valve. Mine is busy being an aortic valve, with a 28 yr old's pumonic valve as a stunt double. (motorcycles are for organ donors)
Progress? Seems objectively good. Agree?
Is your pulmonary valve, which is adapted to supply the longs, tasked with supplying the whole body? If so, that sucks. It's the type of thing that might be easy to fix in a hundred years.
My aortic valve was bicuspid (like Arnold Schwarzenegger). I chose a procedure called the Ross Procedure (also picked by Arnold) after Donald Ross, which is for children. This takes the live pulmonic valve and puts it in the high-stress aortic position and a homograft (dead 28 yr old's leather (not alive tissue) valve) goes in the low-stress pulmonic position. I was in my 30's and able to out run (speed and stamina) high school kids. My heart and lungs were twice the size of a normal persons keeping up with the issue. All recovered in 8 weeks, and back to soccer. No drugs. No issues. No coumadin.
Still like to be using my own tissue, rather than 28 yr-old "leather". Who knows what leather will be like in another 20 years? I plan to still be playing soccer...ok at least keeper.
In general, we have four tissue engineering faculty, including me. The other three are better at it than I am.