New patch helps hearts heal themselves after heart attacks

New patch helps hearts heal themselves after heart attacks

Swiss scientists developed the three-dimensional patch.

3D-printed patch could heal damaged areas of the heart

A new type of cardiac patch could not only seal defective areas of the heart but also heal them. Researchers have successfully implanted the patch in animals. Following a heart attack, blood flow to the heart is interrupted and the resulting lack of oxygen can cause heart damage. The heart wall can rupture in severe cases, requiring immediate surgical intervention. Today, bovine pericardial patches are used to repair such heart defects owing to …