V-Wave Interatrial Shunt to Treat Heart Failure

The V-Wave Ventura interatrial shunt system is intended to relieve HF symptoms by reducing elevated pressure in the left atrium of the heart, a common feature of HF. This elevated left atrial pressure causes a backup of blood in the lungs, leading to pulmonary congestion and breathing difficulty. Ventura device implantation might improve patient management for HF, which traditionally relies on office-based drug therapy.

To implant the Ventura shunt, a physician inserts a specialized catheter into the femoral vein at the groin and threads it into the right atrium to create an opening in the septum, the wall separating the left and right atrial chambers. The stent-like scaffold is designed to keep the transseptal puncture open.

This new opening is thought to lower left atrial pressure and help reduce pulmonary congestion by allowing blood to cross into the low-pressure right atrium. ...