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Heart Surgeon Takes Notes from da Vinci

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the next-we'll-be-using-mayan-farming-techniques dept.

vivekg writes "Leonardo da Vinci probably never thought he had the proverbial Holy Grail to a revolution in heart surgery. Almost 500 years after da Vinci's death, intricate diagrams of the human heart made by him have inspired a British surgeon to pioneer a new way to repair damaged hearts."

4 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. Floppy mitral valve by karvind · · Score: 5, Informative

    Mitral valve prolapse, fortunately, is not deadly. But the usual treatment always has the potential danger of valve infection. I hope the new technique will help prevent that problem.

  2. Re:BS by pg133 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Maybe this article Da Vinci decodes heart valve surgery explains it better
    rancis Wells, a consultant cardiac surgeon at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England, said he had a "eureka moment" as he pored over drawings and notes by the artist in the royal collection at Windsor Castle.
    With Da Vinci's understanding of the importance of the opening and closing phases of the valve, Mr Wells has worked out how to restore the valve's normal and full variability in opening and closing properly.

    "That has been a big step forward," he said yesterday.

    So, yes the work of Da Vinci 1500, did lead to some modern improvments in medicine today!

  3. Re:how much pure knowledge have we discarded? by garat · · Score: 3, Informative

    one of the most healthy foods you can eat is tuna

    While tuna is actually an excellent source of protein (remember that a healthy diet needs many other things as well), there is a downside: eating large quantities can introduce the risk of consuming too much mercury; here's two interesting links:

    http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:1dWBudmqB9cJ:ww w.mercurypolicy.org/new/documents/CanTheTunaReleas eFinal061903.pdf+tuna+mercury&hl=en&client=safari
    http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.as p

    --
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  4. Re:BS by Effika · · Score: 3, Informative

    I think this is the better part of the article. This quote actually explains what the new technique is.

    Until now, surgeons have narrowed the diameter of the valve by removing a square portion of one of the flaps. Now, by closing the gaps on each side of the prolapsing flap and cutting out the excess tissue in a V-shape, the surgeon can make the valve work properly again.