Mediplacements - Heart treatment 'could create jobs for cardiac physiotherapists'

Heart treatment 'could create jobs for cardiac physiotherapists'

Wednesday 29th September 2010

A man from Leicester has become Britain's first heart patient to have a groundbreaking type of biodegradable stent to treat his condition, which could create higher demand for cardiac physiotherapists in the future.

The BBC reported that around 85,000 people have had a metal stent – a tubular scaffold – inserted into their diseased arteries in Britain.

While still performing the basic role of holding narrowed vessels open and releasing drugs to prevent clogging, the new device will also dissolve after two years, when the artery is fully healed.

Professor Tony Gershlick, a cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, told the news provider that the new treatment represented an "exciting evolution".

"We can't state too much at this stage because clinical trials are ongoing but I think we may look back on this as a key moment in the way we manage patients with coronary artery disease," he added.

Meanwhile, it has been widely reported this week that over 500 students training for UK medical jobs at Leeds University will receive Apple iPhones to help them access textbooks and manuals online.

Written by Mathew Horton
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