In a representative embodiment, a method comprises implanting first and second inflatable bodies within an annulus of a native heart valve by securing the inflatable bodies to tissue of the native heart valve with sutures, and implanting a prosthetic heart valve between the inflatable bodies such that the prosthetic heart valve is retained within the annulus by the inflatable bodies.

The present disclosure provides a heart valve repair method, comprising: advancing a distal end of a suture implanting apparatus from an outside of a body through a transapical approach into a left ventricle or a right ventricle of a heart; holding each leaflet of a heart valve with the distal end of the suture implanting apparatus; implanting at least one suture into the leaflet; withdrawing the suture implanting apparatus from the body; advancing a distal end of a suture locking apparatus from the outside of a body through a transapical approach into the corresponding left ventricle or the corresponding right ventricle; using the suture locking apparatus to lock the plurality of sutures; and withdrawing the suture locking apparatus from the body. The heart valve repair method has a simple surgical procedure, a low degree of patient trauma, and a high success rate of surgery.

Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward apparatuses, systems, and methods for cardiac device anchoring and more specifically to accessing and anchoring in the pericardial space.

Embodiments of a heart shape preserving anchor are disclosed herein. The heart shape preserving anchor can include a frame having one or more wings extending from a lower end of the frame. The frame can be sized and shaped to distribute forces over a large surface area thereby reducing pressures applied on the heart. The anchor can include a tether for coupling to a prosthesis, such as a replacement heart valve prosthesis. In some embodiments, the anchor can include a tether adjustment mechanism which can be wirelessly operated to adjust a length of the tether relative to the frame.

Apparatus is provided, including an implant including a tissue-adjusting member including a longitudinal member, and a tissue anchor coupled to the tissue-adjusting member and configured to be anchored into the tissue of the patient. A tissue-coupling element is coupled to the longitudinal member. A delivery tool is reversibly couplable to the implant and is configured to deliver the implant to the tissue of the patient. The delivery tool includes an elongate shaft, a tissue-coupling-element holder coupled to a portion of the elongate shaft, the tissue-coupling-element holder being configured to hold the tissue-coupling element during delivery of the implant to the tissue of the patient, and an actuating element configured to rotate the tissue anchor so as to facilitate anchoring of the tissue anchor into the tissue of the patient while not rotating the tissue-coupling-element holder with respect to the shaft.

An exemplary valve repair device for repairing a native valve of a patient includes a coaption element, a pair of paddles, and barb portions. The barb portions extend directly from at least one of the coaption element and the pair of paddles.

A system for treating a diseased native valve in a patient includes a valve prosthesis and a delivery device. The prosthesis includes an anchor and a frame. The delivery device includes an outer sheath, an inner shaft, an anchor guide, and a tether. The anchor is shaped to encircle chordae or leaflets of a native valve. The frame is configured to sit within the anchor. The inner shaft is positioned within the outer sheath and translatable and rotatable relative to the outer sheath. The anchor guide is attached to a distal end of the inner shaft and has a curved distal section. The tether is configured to detachably couple to the anchor and to longitudinally translate the anchor within the inner shaft and anchor guide. The anchor is configured to be actuated from a delivery configuration to the deployed configuration when the anchor is translated out of the anchor guide.

A clip and a clip deployment and delivery system. The clip may be engaged with a clip spreader such that simple relative movement, such as sliding movement, between the clip and clip spreader causes the clip and clip spreader to disengage from each other. A clip spreader actuator may be coupled to one arm of the clip spreader, extend distally around a distal end of the clip spreader, proximally along the other clip spreader arm, and to a proximal end at which the actuator may be controlled to open or close the clip spreader. The clips may be leaflet clips having teeth on one arm thereof and bumps on another arm thereof. The arms of the leaflet clip may be biased into a closed configuration by a flex zone which has an expanded portion extending laterally away from only one of the clip arms.

Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward apparatuses, systems, and methods that include tissue anchors such as for chordae tendineae repair.

A tissue anchor and an anchor delivery and deployment system. The tissue anchor is shiftable between a delivery configuration when housed in anchor garage of the anchor delivery and deployment system, and a deployment configuration when deployed outside the anchor garage. The anchor has a plurality of talons which may be formed from a laser cut tube. The talons may taper, such as widthwise.