3D Printed Biodegradable, Expandable Stents

Every year, about 280,000 patients around the world undergo heart valve surgery, and the number of patients requiring heart valve replacement is expected to triple by 2050. Many of those patients are children with congenital heart conditions, and while heart valves can be replaced with bioprosthetic and mechanical valves, pediatric patients present a special challenge. As children grow, they outgrow their prosthetics, whether that's a hand or a vascular stent. 3D printing has shown itself to be a promising technology for creating customized stents, but a group of researchers from the Eindhoven University of Technology is working on developing something even better - stents that expand as the patient grows, and that biodegrade over time. Read more at 3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/175081/3d-printed-expandable-stents/

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