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Ed Yeates ReportingWe first reported on the spontaneous recovery of a Wyoming woman's failing heart several years ago, but it was an isolated case, with no evidence it was anything but that. Well now, in this country's first published study, the New England Journal of Medicine says a failing heart can heal itself in many patients, under the right conditions.
A 40-year old man from Kansas is about to leave the recovery house at LDS Hospital to go home with a heart that's healed itself. Leslie Bowley's heart was so bad the hospital in his hometown had sent him home to die.
Leslie Bowley, Heart Patient: "I was on hospice. They sent me home on hospice before. And that's just to keep you comfortable until you pass."
Not only did he not die, Les will go home now not with a transplant or an implant, but his own repaired heart. LDS Hospital implanted an LVAD artificial heart pump in Les, but only temporarily to allow his own heart, which was in critical end stage failure, to rest and rebound.
Dale Renlund, M.D., LDS Hospital: "There is more likely than not a preponderance of evidence that this is something real that can be done."
Dr. Dale Renlund is referring to this week's New England Journal of Medicine study, which shows the LVAD pumps, along with specific drugs, appear to be the right recipe for self-healing. So, who were the patients in the study?
Dr. Renlund: "They were horribly sick. They were on death's door."
Our own heart's ability to heal - even regenerate itself - apparently is uncanny! Researchers saw this previously while studying the hearts of mammals, but this week's study now offers a platform for more extensive human clinical trials, including using stem cells to regenerate heart muscle.
Dr. Renlund: "What we may be seeing is the human model for that, that given adequate resting, off loading of the heart, and therapies to reverse the adverse effects, that things can get better."
Leslie Bowley: "I feel like a whole new human being."
The New England Journal study used the first generation l-vad. but the third generation l-vads last longer, are smaller, easier to implant and easier to take out.
