New research suggests gentle shockwaves could be used to regenerate the heart tissue of patients after bypass surgery. An Austrian study found those who received the new treatment were able to walk longer distances a year later, and their hearts were able to pump more blood. This report from our health correspondent, Jim Reid, does contain images of open heart surgery.

58-year-old Josef is being wheeled off to theater for a heart bypass operation. Like For millions around the world, he lives with heart disease, and last year, it all came to a head.

I felt a stab of pain that moved into my left hand. Then I was short of breath. I had this fear of death, where you don't know what to do next and what's going to happen.

But today, Josef will have some unusual treatment as part of his surgery. The doctors at this Austrian hospital will apply mild shockwaves to his damaged heart to help it regenerate.

This handheld machine is designed to deliver sound waves, setting off a chain reaction inside the tissue and stimulating the growth of new blood vessels. Johannes Hohlfeld is the surgeon about to perform this new treatment.

Okay, so what I do now is take the heart, the beating heart, and we can now start, please. This This is a patient with a severely reduced heart function due to chronically undersupplied heart muscle. With shockwave therapy, we can induce the formation of new blood vessel, and thereby the heart muscle gets strengthened.

In a trial of 63 patients, those who had the new therapy were able to recover more quickly and their hearts pumped more blood.

They can walk much, much longer than they did before This for patients means that they are able again to go out for a walk with their dog or to go to the supermarket, care for their everyday life. This really makes a difference for their quality of life.

Markus had bypassed surgery after his heart attack and took part in the clinical trials.

Today, I actually don't have any breathing restrictions anymore. I can do sports, I can go hiking, I can go into the mountains, and the condition for me is the way it was before the heart attack.

Shockwaves are already used in other parts of medicine, such as healing skin wounds. The team in Austria plan to carry out more trials and offer their device to hospitals across Europe next year. Jim Reid, BBC News.