Edwards Lifesciences 2005 Annual Report"
Valerie R. has been healthy all of her life; diagnosed
with a heart murmur in 1988, she had enjoyed an active life until
last March, when a series of unexpected fainting episodes were
linked to a faulty aortic heart valve and the need for percutaneous
heart valve replacement. Today, at age 92, Valerie enjoys working
out twice weekly at the gym, and is looking forward to welcoming
guests to her new home this summer. “I am so grateful to
everyone, the doctors and the Edwards employees, for this wonderful
valve,” Valerie says.
This experimental, proprietary technology is designed to
treat patients with severe aortic heart valve stenosis
by threading a replacement heart valve via a catheter
through the patient’s
circulatory system. Percutaneous heart valve replacement
and repair represent an important therapeutic options
for patients, and Edwards leads the field with the most
advanced and comprehensive platform of technologies
in development. These new therapies offer the promise
of less-invasive treatments, shorter hospital stays
and faster recovery times for patients.