ventures

Manny Villafaña

The hunt for heart surgery’s 'holy grail' leads entrepreneur to Iowa

Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Cardiac surgeons perform upwards of 1 million heart bypass procedures worldwide a year, each requiring on average 2.5 grafts using veins surgically removed from patients’ legs. Although the method has been successful, retrieving healthy veins from legs presents risks and complications on top of those related to the heart surgery. These include potential infections, painful recoveries, and—often...