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 MIAMI, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Thousands of patients have open-heart surgery each year. But when the doctor's work is done, the patient has a long road to recovery. Now, a new procedure is eliminating the traumatic surgery for some young patients.
After three open heart surgeries, nothing scares Daniel Rodriguez anymore. But last year, he needed another surgery to widen the valve that had kept him alive for 11 years.
"He was exhausted and couldn't get through his day and he started to look sickly," says Evan Zahn, M.D., a cardiologist at Miami Children's Hospital in Miami, Fla.
But another open-heart surgery?
"Surgery is a fantastic thing, but it doesn't come without a heavy price to pay," Dr. Zahn says.
Pain, scarring and one to two weeks in the hospital made open-heart less than ideal.
"I was concerned, you know, him being older, you know, this is going to be harder on him," Daniel's mother, Melanie, says.
Doctors think the Melody valve should last patients 10 to 15 years, but further tests will tell. When another procedure is needed, surgeons can use the same entry way again. The melody is still in FDA trials at three locations across the country, but Dr. Zahn says good results so far mean it should be widely available in a couple of years.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Congenital Heart Institute at Miami Children's Hospital
http://www.mch.com/clinical/cardiology
(305) 662-8301
To read Ivanhoe's full-length interview with Dr. Zahn, click here.
Sign up for a free weekly e-mail on Medical Breakthroughs called First to Know by clicking here.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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So Daniel became the second person in the 
And on to scarier things. 