Shunt for redistributing atrial blood volume

A method for regulating blood volume distribution between a patient's first heart area and the patient's second heart area, the method comprising:

• implanting a shunt at a puncture in a heart to treat a heart condition, the shunt comprising:
• an anchor comprising an hourglass-shaped body having a first region, a second region, a neck region joining the first region to the second region, the anchor configured to transition from a collapsed delivery state to an expanded deployed state in which the first region extends into the first heart area, the second region extends into the second heart area, and the neck region is disposed at the puncture,
• wherein the anchor defines a lumen therethrough configured to maintain a continuous opening that permits blood to flow across the puncture via the shunt and inhibits late lumen loss, wherein the lumen has an effective orifice area selected to permit blood flow across the puncture to thereby reduce the patient's left atrial pressure and increase ejection fraction while preserving the patient's right atrial pressure and pulmonary artery pressure.