In the treatment of cardiovascular disease, the use of coronary stents - artificial tubes used in cases of coronary heart disease to keep the arteries open – have halved the number of those dying from heart attacks or suffering heart failure. Patients with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) – a small device implanted for those at risk of sudden cardiac death – now have a 98% chance of surviving a cardiac arrest, compared with only 5% without the implantable device.