The CG Future Band

A major advance in mitral valve repair technology occurred in 2001 with the launch of the Colvin-Galloway Future Band, a new semi-rigid annuloplasty band used in the surgical repair of the heart's mitral valve. Drs. Colvin and Galloway developed the new band in collaboration with Medtronic, Inc., the world's leading medical technology company, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

The Colvin-Galloway Future Band is used in mitral valve repair surgery to restore, or "remodel," the leaking mitral valve opening to a more-normal shape. The innovative Colvin-Galloway band restores proper valve coaptation and improves valve function after repair. The Future Band annuloplasty is a significant advance over prior devices used for valve repair. The design allows the surgeon to achieve more predictable remodeling of the valve annulus while maintaining normal physiology and flexibility. This leads to more predictable long-term results after mitral valve repair surgery.

The design of the new valve annuloplasty system is truly futuristic using a semi-rigid metal alloy to provide strength, physiologic flexibility, and a low profile all in a single device. The low profile band is designed for improved ease of implantation, which is especially valuable as more advanced minimally invasive techniques become more common.