Health News - Balloons used in pioneering heart surgery

Published: 1 September, 2011
by TOM FOOT

SURGEONS are sending inflatable laser balloons into the hearts of men and women following pioneering research at the Heart Hospital, Bloomsbury

The balloon enters the bloodstream through a piercing at the top of the leg, travelling through the body to the heart, where it inflates.

A laser inside burns away damaged tissue.

The special technique, which allows surgeons to perform operations with greater accuracy, was used for the first time on NHS patient Scott Rosser last week.

His chaotic heart rhythms were causing irregular heart beats and worrying doctors.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Oliver Segal said: “The laser balloon is an incredibly exciting new technology.”