First Partial Heart Transplant Deemed Success After Nearly A Year Of Working

Becker's Hospital Review: Duke Reports Success In World's 1st Partial Heart Transplant
Nearly a year after a newborn received the world's first partial heart transplant, the transplanted valves and arteries are functioning well and growing along with the child's heart — a key measure of success in the procedure paving the way for future advancements. A team at Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health performed the partial heart transplant in a newborn with truncus arteriosus last spring. The transplant involved fusing the arteries and valves from a freshly donated heart onto the patient's existing heart. On Jan. 2., Duke Health physicians who led the landmark transplant published a study that showed the approach led to functioning parts of the heart that are growing along with the patient. (Carbajal, 1/2)

In other innovations —

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Engineer Invented A ‘People Picker-Upper' For Aging Parents
Steve Powell had a problem — one common to many people with older relatives. His mother and father kept falling down. His divorced parents, who both wanted to age at home, lived separately near Powell’s Livermore home. They’d call him, and he’d go over and get them back on their feet. Once he wasn’t available. His mom had to call 911 and felt humiliated in her nightgown in front of four burly firefighters. (Said, 1/2)

WMFE: 'Arm Identity'? A UCF Company Is Using AI To Personalize Prosthetics For Kids
When generative artificial intelligence tools became available this year, many identified them as a disruptive technology. Limbitless Solutions creative director Matt Dombrowski embraced them with open arms. "Limbitless started on what was, unfairly, called a disruptive technology with 3D printing," Dombrowski said. "Everyone thought that was scary. And so seeing what we can do with the next disruptive technology, like AI, gives us a lot of hope. It gives us a lot of creative fuel for the future." (Pedersen, 1/2)

Bloomberg: UK Scientists Developing Smart Headband To Stop Teeth Grinding And Jaw Clenching
A headband that can stop teeth grinding and jaw clenching - a condition thought to affect about a third of adults at some point in their life - is being developed by scientists in the UK. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have teamed up with JawSense, a medical technology start-up, to develop the device with the aim to treat bruxism. (1/1)

USA Today: Dreading Your Colonoscopy? New Tests Give Consumers More Options And Require Less Prep
The most common test to check for colon cancer is the once-a-decade colonoscopy. However, easier methods that can detect signs of the disease in a person's stool are available. And new prescription blood tests are on the horizon. Researchers and manufacturers say simpler tests like these could encourage more Americans to get tested. The tests are less invasive and time-consuming than colonoscopies, they're often less expensive and they could improve screening rates. Nationwide, about two out of five eligible adults were not up to date on colon cancer screenings in 2021, meaning they did not know their risk for the second deadliest type of cancer. (Alltucker, 1/2)

Stat: How 'Safe Bathrooms' Against Opioid Overdose Deaths Came To Be
First, a light starts to flash. Then a high-pitched siren starts to blare. Then come the sounds of nearby doors being flung open, and the frantic footsteps of doctors and nurses rushing toward a restroom at the end of a hallway. They’re in a hurry for good reason. These distress signals have a specific meaning: Somebody in the bathroom is overdosing. (Facher, 1/3)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute' 
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: Decision-makers are awash in slick marketing and gimmicky products from companies looking to cash in on opioid settlement funds. Self-driving cars could be a lifeline for people with disabilities living in rural America. (1/2)