Heart failure is an inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the circulation needs of the body and is a major health problem. It is increasing in prevalence due to an aging population and more patients living longer after a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction [MI]). Nearly 6 million Americans are living with heart failure, and each year, approximately 300,000 patients die of the disease. Patients who have moderate to severe heart failure have a poor prognosis and, despite major advances, long-term medical treatment alone may be insufficient to restore health. Heart transplantation is the only curative therapy for certain end-stage heart failure patients; however, due to the shortage of donors, other therapies are needed. When heart muscle is damaged by an MI, patients can develop an enlarged left ventricle, the chamber in the heart that pumps blood into the body. This is typically followed by congestive heart failure (CHF) and accumulation of fluid in the lungs. Surgical ventricular restoration (SVR) is an operation performed to improve the heart's function in patients who have severe CHF.