At first sight, it looked like a piece of bark from a tree. It was only as I lifted it close to my face that I could see that it really was - as promised - the scalp of a human head. Looking carefully, I could see a fuzz of short ginger hair and a tiny shrivelled ear.

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A paperclip-like device inserted in the groin could be a lifesaver for patients with persistent high blood pressure, doctors claimed last night.
Implanted in an hour, the ROX coupler clips two blood vessels together, diverting some of the blood under high pressure from an artery to a vein.
Patients with blood pressure that remains dangerously high, despite the use of a mixture of drugs, saw their readings drop almost immediately after the procedure.

Patients with high blood pressure saw readings drop almost immediately after having ROX coupler inserted.

Professor André Ng believes the metal device could help up to two million Britons.
He said: ‘Patients with resistant hypertension have blood pressure way above normally accepted levels, despite multiple medications in combination.‘We hope this groundbreaking treatment will prove a lifeline to patients who have had all the drugs prescribed and yet their blood pressure remains uncontrolled.
‘Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to many other medical conditions with dire consequences.’
Hypertension – or high blood pressure – trebles the risk of heart attacks and strokes, can damage the kidneys and eyes and is increasingly being linked to dementia.
Patients usually have to make lifestyle changes such as cutting back on salt, exercising more or avoiding stress.

Small saviour: The new 'paper clip' implant may help thousands with hypertension

They may also be given tablets, but in up to 20 per cent of cases blood pressure remains dangerously high despite the use of different combinations of pills.
It is hoped the ROX coupler will help these men and women with resistant hypertension.
The device punctures and clips together an artery and vein in the upper leg, diverting some of the blood under high pressure in the artery to the vein, thereby lowering blood pressure.
Professor Ng, of the University of Leicester, operated successfully on a 56-year-old man on Monday. The patient’s blood pressure fell quickly and he was discharged the next day.
The unnamed patient, who has struggled to keep a lid on his blood pressure for years, said: ‘The procedure is remarkable.
‘I know it is still early but I have seen a significant reduction in my blood pressure. I am amazed.’
The operation under local anaesthetic took just over 60 minutes. But it is expected to get quicker as surgeons become familiar with it.
A trial that includes British patients is under way after the success of small-scale tests.
Professor Ng said the device could be in widespread use by 2017 if the trial is a success.
But Professor Peter Weissberg, of the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘The vast majority of patients with high blood pressure are successfully treated with drugs. Even if this trial was successful, the treatment would only apply to a small proportion.

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