Method of making a left ventricular assist device

A method of forming a left ventricular assist device in a living patient comprising:

• a) wrapping a strip of muscle around a mandrel and sewing the strip of muscle to form a muscle pouch having an open end with an edge;
• b) removing the mandrel from the muscle pouch;
• c) sewing a patch of synthetic material to the edge of the open end of the muscle pouch to form a suture line, said patch having connections to a first end of each of a pair of vascular grafts having first and second ends;
• d) inserting at least one balloon into the muscle pouch and into the vascular grafts and inflating said at least one balloon;
• e) anastomosing the second end of each of the pair of vascular gratis to the patient's aorta;
• f) allowing a period of time for healing of the suture line and stimulation of the muscle pouch;
• and
• g) deflating and removing the at least one balloon.

A method of forming a left ventricular assist device in a living patient comprising:

• a) wrapping a strip of muscle around a mandrel and sewing the strip of muscle to form a muscle pouch having an open end with an edge;
• b) removing the mandrel from the muscle pouch;
• c) sewing a patch of synthetic material to the edge of the open end of the muscle pouch to form a suture line, said patch having connections to a first end of each of a pair of vascular grafts having first and second ends;
• d) inserting a balloon into the muscle pouch via one of the vascular grafts and inflating the balloon;
• e) allowing a period of time for healing of the suture line and stimulation of the muscle pouch;
• f) deflating the balloon and removing it through either of the pair of vascular grafts;
• and
• g) anastomosing the second end of each of the pair of vascular grafts to the patient's aorta.

A method of forming a ventricular assist device in a patient that comprises:

• providing a muscle pouch, the muscle pouch being attached to the patient's aorta;
• providing in the muscle pouch a balloon that can be expanded and contracted, the balloon being in an expanded state in the muscle pouch;
• stimulating the muscle pouch so as to cause the muscle pouch to contract around the balloon and condition the muscle pouch during a stimulation period;
• removing the balloon from the muscle pouch by deflating the balloon;
• causing blood to flow from the aorta through the muscle pouch.