LoneStar Heart, a company with offices in Laguna Hills, CA and Dallas, TX, received European approval for its Algisyl-LVR hydrogel implant for treating advanced heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy. The gel-like material is injected directly into the myocardium where it hardens and widens the wall of the heart surrounding the left ventricle. This is intended to reduce the size of the left ventricular cavity and return the heart to a more naturally healthy shape, hopefully leading to increased cardiac output, greater efficiency, and less stress on the organ (via reduced LaPlace tension).
The implant is biocompatible with the heart’s muscle tissue and does not completely harden, remaining somewhat pliant to move along with the pressures applied by the heart.
Here’s an animation describing the Algisyl-LVR:
Product page: Algisyl-LVR…
Press release: LoneStar Heart Receives European Approval to Market its Algisyl-LVR® Hydrogel Implant for the Treatment of Advanced Heart Failure…