Researchrs say there could be a better alternatve to open-heart surgery for people with faulty aortic valves.

A new study found that patients who had a faulty heart valve replaced with an artificial one by way of a tube into an artery rather than open-heart surgery had a better survival rate a year later.

The study said that 14 percent of those who had the catheter replacemt procedure died, compared with 19 percent who had open-heart surgery.

The results of the study were reported Saturday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Washington, D.C.

A number of doctors at the conference predicted far fewer people will be have the traditional operation in the near future.