New heart valve replacement procedure hailed

Less-invasive surgery that implants a prosthetic heart valve via a catheter inserted in the patient's groin could help tens of thousands a year, study indicates. One surgeon calls it a 'game changer.'Deteriorating or clogged heart valves in the seriously ill elderly can be successfully replaced through minimally invasive surgery, researchers said Sunday. The new procedure represents a development whose significance many cardiologists are comparing to the use of balloon angioplasty to clear blocked arteries.

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