This news item is about: By the time they are 10 years old, small dogs will develop mitral valve disease, a deadly condition where the heart valve leaks. So far, the only treatment is a surgery that costs $30,000, with just two teams of Japanese surgeons trained to perform it. Dr. Romain Pariaut, associate professor of cardiology at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, is collaborating with a team of biomedical engineering students in the Master of Engineering Program (M.Eng.) to find a cheap, less invasive and effective solution.