Valtech Cardio, a company out of Or Yehuda, Israel, won European CE Mark approval to introduce its Cardioband annuloplasty system. The Cardioband allows for minimally invasive reconstruction of the mitral valve using a transfemoral, transseptal delivery system, avoiding open heart surgery that can be dangerous for fragile patients.
The procedure is done endovascularly, without stopping the heart, and the actual valve leaflets and chordae are not touched during implantation. It is performed under echo and fluoro guidance, and results in a similar outcome achieved through open heart surgery. This should allow other treatments, such as artificial valves, to be used in the future.
Here’s a Valtech animation describing the Cardioband procedure:
From the announcement:
In a multicenter feasibility trial including more than 50 patients, Cardioband was shown to significantly reduce annular size, with significant improvement in MR. After six months of follow-up, 82% of patients (n = 22) were categorized in NYHA Class I-II, with significant improvement of quality of life (Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire) score of 38 to 18 [p<0.05]; and had six-minute walk test score of 250 to 322 [p<0.05]). At 12 months’ follow-up, 94% of patients (n = 17) had sustained MR less than or equal to 2+.
Product page: Cardioband…
Source: Valtech Cardio…