New Method for Treating Heart Failure

Israeli doctors performed a unique surgery to implant a heart expander.

The high level of development of Israeli medical technologies has once again been confirmed by the unique surgery to implant the heart expander CORrolla, patented in Israel.

The world's first patient to receive this device is Canadian Robert McLachlan. He had suffered from severe heart disease – diastolic heart failure – for several years. Doctors in Canada and the USA could not offer a cure; their therapy provided only temporary relief. Then the 72-year-old patient turned to Israeli doctors, who offered him the chance to try a new development by Dr. Yair Peled – the heart expander. McLachlan agreed to the experiment and became the first person to receive the CORrolla.

What is Diastolic Heart Failure

As a result of heart dysfunction, there is a failure in the filling of the left ventricle with blood. Pressure increases in it, and the blood ejection level decreases, leading to further severe circulatory disturbances. Almost half of the patients diagnosed with this condition do not survive even five years.

The causes of diastolic heart failure can vary, including heart and endocrine system pathologies. Initially, symptoms are subtly expressed, for example, shortness of breath occurs after physical activity, but over time, swelling, coughing, and rapid breathing begin to constantly plague the patient.

Doctors have not yet found an effective way to combat this pathology; they only conduct measures to reduce symptoms and alleviate the patient's condition. The new Israeli invention may, in the future, save the lives of patients with diastolic heart failure.

Essence of the Invention

The Israeli startup CorAssist represents a breakthrough in the treatment of severe heart pathologies, particularly diastolic heart failure. Developed by Dr. Yair Peled in collaboration with Israeli scientists, the device helps the heart muscle expand after contraction and fill with blood. The CORrolla device is an elastic spring that accumulates energy when the heart muscle contracts and releases it when it needs to expand. The expansion ensures a normal diameter for blood flow to occur.

The surgery to implant the heart expander is performed in a minimally invasive manner, under local anesthesia, and is as gentle as possible for the patient.

Result of the First CORrolla Implantation

The surgical operation to implant the heart expander device was conducted under the guidance of Professor Gil Bolotin, a well-known cardiothoracic surgeon in Israel and beyond. The patient successfully underwent the operation, and his condition significantly improved. The new device may, in the future, be widely used to treat millions of patients diagnosed with "diastolic heart failure."

Clinical trials of the CORrolla heart expander are currently underway, and the device has already been patented by Israeli inventors.