Nearly 18 million people die from cardiovascular disease every year.

Three-quarters of those fatalities occur in low to middle-income countries, where preventative treatment is either not available or too expensive. It’s estimated that 92 percent of the world’s population has no access to cardiac surgery.

This is particularly tragic in countries like India, where close to 2 million children have undetected congenital heart issues.

Israeli startup HeartPoint Global aims to bring minimally invasive treatment to heart patients wherever they may be.

HeartPoint’s approach doesn’t seem so revolutionary, at least not initially. The company’s HPGS (HeartPoint Global Implant System) involves inserting a stent into the pulmonary artery. It’s the same kind of stent used to clear blockages to prevent a heart attack.

The difference is that the HeartPoint stent isn’t about opening the artery. It’s part of a system used to regulate the flow and pressure of blood coming in and out of the heart, a problem associated with congenital heart conditions.

“The research shows that if you fix the flow and pressure, kids with congenital heart problems can heal themselves. It’s really amazing,” HeartPoint Global CEO Seth Bogner tells ISRAEL21c.

“We’re using stents in a new, minimally invasive way that can adjust flow and pressure at any time and at a reasonable cost.”

Read more: www.israel21c.org/