Patent ID: 7938856

Claim:
A method of making an annuloplasty prosthesis for a heart valve comprising: providing a piece of fabric having free edges that are substantially parallel to one another on respective opposite sides of a width of the fabric; creasing the fabric along each of two crease lines that are each substantially parallel to the free edges and that are spaced from one another and the free edges widthwise of the fabric; bringing the two crease lines into lengthwise contact with one another without enclosing portions of the width of the fabric that are not between the crease lines; stitching the crease lines together along their length to produce a sewing cuff from the portion of the width of the fabric that is between the crease lines; providing an annuloplasty prosthesis core annulus; after the step of stitching the crease lines together, wrapping the portions of the width of the fabric that are not between the crease lines tightly around the core annulus while positioning the fabric so that the sewing cuff forms an annulus that parallels the core annulus, so that the fabric is securely and firmly wrapped around the core annulus, and so that the free edges come together lengthwise along a line that is spaced from the crease lines; and stitching the free edges together lengthwise.