A heart surgeon has devised a new heart procedure after studying drawings of the heart made by Leonardo da Vinci. “The drawings allowed him to work out how to restore normal opening and closing function of the mitral valve, one of the four valves in the heart. Until now, surgeons have repaired a floppy valve by narrowing its diameter. However, this can restrict the blood flow further when the individual is exercising and working their heart to the maximum. It’s a complete rethink of the way we do the mitral valve operation.”