A Giving Heart Foundation helps fund research on technologies that will reduce or eliminate the need for open-heart surgery in children living with Congenital Heart Disease.
In a study published in March funded by AGHF, researchers demonstrated that a dissolvable stent was safe and effective in an animal trial when compared with the industry standard metal stent. Dissolvable stents are preferred for use in infants and children as they allow for growth.
Further studies are needed to determine how the stent will perform with a true arterial narrowing in a smaller child and if tissue reaction will cause problems. Also, the company producing the dissolvable stents have moved away from this type of stent.
For these reasons, Dr. Kenney and his team of researchers are investigating 3D printing as the next phase of dissolvable stent development. This technology would enable doctors to make a customized stent from a number of different materials.
Funding is essential to properly test these advances and ensure they lead to the best possible outcomes for children living with congenital heart disease.
Learn more about Dr. Damien Kenney here.
