The Heart (03:33)

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Dr. Nikki Stamp is a heart surgeon at Fiona Stanley Hospital. Heart disease is one of the most common diseases, but most people know little about their hearts.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (02:50)

Stamp is planning a heart surgery for Piripi Matthews, a 24-year-old with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The genetic disorder causes the heart to have too much muscle tissue, which makes it harder to pump blood throughout the body.

Matthews' Surgery (04:32)

Stamp will be cutting out part of his overgrown heart muscle during surgery. Matthews' heart must be stopped, and he will be put on a heart and lung machine, which will mimic his heart's function. The heart can only be stopped for 190 minutes so Stamp and her team must work quickly.

Heart Mapping (04:36)

MRIs and CT scans give surgeons a good picture of the heart but Stamp is investigating new methods. Professor Stuart Grieve is developing 4D flow, which uses imaging technology to show how fast blood is flowing around the heart. Technicians in Boston have developed virtual reality heart models specific to a patient.

Congenital Heart Disease (06:40)

Two-year-old Sophia was born with a ventricular septal defect, which disrupts blood flow. More than 2,000 babies are born with it each year and must have heart surgery in the first few years of life. A Dacron patch will be placed over the hole and sewn into position.

Heart Disease (08:21)

John Roberts is a 57-year-old musician, who has developed coronary artery disease and needs a triple bypass to unblock his arteries. Roberts is a common case for Stamp, who has seen a raise in preventable heart disease. Roberts' has an allergy to a blood thinner needed for the heart lung machine and a leaky heart value, which will make his surgery more complex.

Printed Heart Cells (02:42)

The Kolling Institute of Medical Research is using 3D printing technology to make artificial organs. Human stem cells are being used to create heart cells. The heart cells could be used to replace damaged cells in hearts like Robert's.

Women's Hearts (02:28)

Women are less likely to have heart attacks than men, but are more likely to die from them. Only recently have researchers pinpointed the differences between men and women's heart attacks.

Mechanical Heart (06:27)

Daniella Nash had a massive heart attack at 42 because of a spontaneous coronary artery dissection. She was rushed to the hospital and Stamp used a LVAD, or mechanical heart, to save her life. She has recovered fully with the help of the LVAD and there is a possibility her heart could repair itself.

Heart Transplant (05:58)

Sharaeh had dilated cardiomyopathy and received a heart transplant. Stamp was able to get her a new heart to the hospital in Perth using a Transmedics device that keeps the heart beating. It has greatly increased the transport time for hearts and widened the donor pool.

Aortic Stenosis (09:12)

Betty Trotter is 94 and having an aortic stenosis procedure to fix her calcified aorta. Stamp is using transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVI, to replace it without opening Trotter's chest because of her age.

Credits: Heartbeat: The Miracle Inside You (00:10)

Credits: Heartbeat: The Miracle Inside You