Afksendiyos Kalangos is also the inventor of the bioabsorbable "Kalangos ring" designed to be used in the surgical repair of heart valves. The "Kalangos ring" allows the surgeon to repair the dilated annulus of the mitral and tricuspid valves.1

The ring was developed by changing the chemical structure and molecular weight of the PDF material currently used as a suture material. It is gradually absorbed within 18 months after its placement into the native valvular annulus. This invention shortens the duration of surgery and eliminates the need for repeated surgeries in children by preserving the growth potential of the native annulus.