"The apex of the heart 51 protrudes through the opening 49 at the apical end 50 of the jacket 40. [0051] Still referring to FIG. 5, in a preferred embodiment, if one or more of the lateral attachment device 48 are made of an elastic material, such as silicone rubber, the device can provide a way of applying a graded constraint around the outside of the heart 41 to reduce cardiac dilation over time." . . . . .