Stem Cells For Heart Disease
What is HEART DISEASE?
Heart disease most often occurs when cholesterol accumulates and forms “plaque” in a coronary artery. With blood flow impeded, the heart becomes starved for oxygen, causing chest pain (angina).
If a blood clot forms and completely obstructs the vessel it can lead to a heart attack (myocardial infarction). The death of heart muscle tissue due to the lack of blood supply gradually progresses to congestive heart failure.
How is CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE treated?
One option for treating serious congestive heart failure is heart transplantation.
However, patients who are in a heart transplant waiting program may wish to consider Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy as a first approach.
CARDIAC STEM CELL THERAPY
Cardiac stem cell therapy involves delivering healthy stem cells (extracted from a healthy individual) to the damaged site of the heart to help restore cardiac muscle function. The stem cells can be delivered in two ways.
- Using an angioplasty procedure, where a catheter is threaded from an artery near the groin to the heart. The doctor is then able to inject the stem cells in to the blood vessel leading to the damaged area of the heart. The cells flow through the vessels and enter the damaged area to repair the damaged or dying tissue.
- Most patients still require bypass surgery and stem cells can be administered at this time by direct cardiac muscle injection. This normally occurs if the area of damage is widespread or inaccessible by angioplasty.
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