The FDA and Medicare apparently decided to slow the adoption of a pioneering replacement heart valve , fearing too many seniors on Medicare would seek out the procedure , according to this WSJ report . The innovative medical device serves as an artificial replacement for the body 's own aortic valve that is situated between the left ventricle and aorta within the human heart . This valve controls the flow of blood away from the heart ; however , it starts to narrow as part of the ageing process , reducing the flow and thus leading to heart failure , and it some cases , death . In the past the only way to repair the damage was risky open-heart surgery. Although open - heart surgery is typically the only other treatment option - an operation not without it 's risks and associated costs , bureaucrats apparently eschewed this inventive device . which enables a damaged valve to be repaired by allowing this replacement valve to be implanted within the heart via a catheter within a main artery in the leg , a less risky option for elderly patients , in favour of the surgery .
The FDA and Medicare apparently decided to slow the adoption of a pioneering replacement heart valve , fearing too many seniors on Medicare would seek out the procedure , according to this WSJ report . The innovative medical device serves as an artificial replacement for the body 's own aortic valve that is situated between the left ventricle and aorta within the human heart . This valve controls the flow of blood away from the heart ; however , it starts to narrow as part of the ageing process , reducing the flow and thus leading to heart failure , and it some cases , death . Although open - heart surgery is typically the only other treatment option - an operation not without it 's risks and associated costs , bureaucrats apparently eschewed this inventive device . which enables a damaged valve to be repaired by allowing this replacement valve to be implanted within the heart via a catheter within a main artery in the leg , a less risky option for elderly patients , in favour of the surgery .