Bridging the Gap - Users' and payers' perspectives

Thursday, June 3

About Tal Golesworthy | Technical Director, Exstent Ltd.

Tal Golesworthy, is a Chartered Engineer, Member of the Energy Institute and the Royal Society of Chemistry with 43 years Research & Development experience, 17 years at the National Coal Board’s Coal Research Establishment, including 3 years training as a patent agent, and 26 years a director of Environmental Development Technology Ltd running R&D projects in combustion and flue gas cleaning/Air Pollution Control.

As a Marfan Syndrome patient with aortic dilation, Tal was unimpressed with the options of a Total Root Replacement (TRR or Bentall) or Valve Sparing Root Replacement (VSRR) so set about engineering an alternative. 16 years after receiving the first personalised external aortic root support (PEARS) himself, he is now working to extend this surgical option to a wider group of patients with aortic dilation.

With NICE IPAC approval, 31 surgical centres up and running, 400+ patients successfully treated, and a collective 1500+ post operative patient years, PEARS continues to progress.

March 2014 saw the TED talk on the PEARS project break 1,000,000 viewings (https://www.ted.com/talks/tal_golesworthy_how_i_repaired_my_own_heart?language=en)

July 2015 saw Tal receive one of the first Patient Innovation Awards in Lisbon (http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7ed42017b5a721b88e1910afb&id=2d6c3fee79)

PEARS is now written up in 46 peer reviewed journal papers and has been presented at various major international conferences.

Married for 40 years to Teresa, Tal has some time for clay pigeon shooting, deer stalking, music, and 20 century European history.