Patent ID: 7875017

Claim:
A method of treating a heart having a myocardium and a cardiac venous system, comprising: identifying a plurality of segments of the cardiac venous system that are disposed along a therapeutically beneficial global pattern, the pattern being for treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy or congestive heart failure, and each of the segments comprising venules disposed within the myocardium forming an occlusion at each end of each of the segments; and introducing a biocompatible occluding agent into the segments of the cardiac venous system in a therapeutically effective amount to establish a plurality of respective discrete masses in the segments and venules for thickening and relieving stress in the myocardium of the heart along the pattern, and reducing systolic volume within a chamber of the heart wherein the introducing step comprises injecting the biocompatible occluding agent into the segments between the respective occlusions thereof to form the discrete masses.