A new pump is providing a new lease on life for patients with advanced heart failure who have exhausted all drug therapies and are too sick for a transplant.
Robert Imhausen has advanced heart failure. There’s not enough blood pumping through his body and he's exhausted.
Robert says when waking up in the morning, "You don’t know how you’re going to feel, if you’re going to be able to walk to the bathroom or somebody helps you.”
Robert was afraid that he would not live much longer but now an experimental device called a CardioVad is giving the 67-year-old an energy boost.
The CardioVad has three parts: a six-inch long pump, a five pound external battery and a port that connects the two.
Dr. Valluvan Jeevanandam says, "This is the component that gets implanted on the aorta and basically, it’s a balloon that inflates and deflates.”
In a process called counterpulsation, the pump increases the blood supply to the heart and decreases the heart’s workload.
Dr. Jeevanandam says, "Because of counterpulsation there’s always blood pressure in the patient.”
Doctors insert the balloon pump through a small incision between the patient’s ribs.
Dr. Jeevanandam says, "As opposed to other devices where you have to attach it to the heart and manipulate a heart that’s very, very sick, this device is actually placed on the side of the chest.”
Patients control the pump, turning it on only when they need more energy.
"If they're at home and they’re just sitting on the sofa, they don’t need the extra boost," the doctor says. "But when they go up and they want to go gardening or they want to go shopping, they do need the extra boost.”
Because all the mechanics are carried on the outside of the body, upgrades to the C CardioVad can be made without further surgery for the patient.
Supplemental Information
Fast Facts
About 5 million Americans have heart failure and 550,000 new cases are diagnosed annually.
When traditional therapies don’t help ease symptoms, a heart pump or heart transplant may be necessary.
The CardioVad is a new type of heart assist device that decreases the workload on the heart. It is currently being tested only at the University of Chicago.
Heart Failure
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart muscle becomes weak and unable to effectively pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. According to the American Heart Association, roughly 5 million Americans have heart failure. About 550,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.
Heart failure usually develops slowly over time. Initially, patients may feel tired and short of breath during exertion. As the heart loses its ability to pump, the heart muscle enlarges and heart rate increases. This allows the heart to pump out more blood. However, eventually, the enlarged heart still can’t keep up with the body’s needs. Patients may feel tired and short of breath even during moderate activity – eventually, even at rest. Other symptoms can include chronic cough, wheezing, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, confusion and problems with thinking. Since the heart can’t pump effectively, the chambers can’t empty fast enough to accept blood coming back through the veins. This returning blood backs up, causing fluid to accumulate, most often in the legs and ankles.
Heart failure can occur at any age, but is more common in people over 65. It is also more common in African-Americans, people with a family history of an enlarged heart, and those with diabetes, high blood pressure, prior heart attack or heart valve damage.
Treating Heart Failure
Patients with heart failure are often treated with a combination of therapies. Lifestyle modifications (like stopping smoking, losing weight, proper diet and avoiding alcohol) can help improve symptoms and may slow progression of the disease. Medications can improve blood flow by strengthening the heart or opening up blood vessels. Other drugs help eliminate excess fluid from the body. Underlying diseases that may be contributing to symptoms need to be controlled.
When medications and lifestyle modifications aren’t effective enough, doctors may recommend surgery. A heart pump (left ventricular assist device, LVAD) can be implanted into the body to mechanically pump blood from the left ventricle (the main pumping chamber) to the body. Patients may also be candidates for a heart transplant.
The CardioVad™
LVADs are meant for temporary use – to buy time for patients until symptoms improve or a suitable donor heart becomes available for transplant. Permanent implantation is not typically recommended because insertion requires major surgery (which some patients with heart failure could not tolerate) and can cause bleeding, infection and development of dangerous blood clots. Internal parts may wear out, necessitating major surgery for replacement.
Researchers at the University of Chicago are testing a new type of device for patients with severe heart failure, called the CardioVad™. The device has three main components: a blood pump, a connector and a drive unit.
The blood pump is an inflatable bladder (similar to a deflated balloon) that is connected to the wall of the aorta (the main blood vessel leaving the heart). The connector (called the ViaDerm™ Percutaneous Access Device, or PAD) is a button opening over the skin. The underside of the button connects to a tube leading to the blood pump. On the outside, the button has a snap connection to attach a tube leading to the wearable drive unit. The drive unit consists of two battery-powered packs that can be worn in a vest or shoulder pack. The rechargeable batteries last for about 90 minutes. When at home, the patient can use a drive unit that is plugged into an electrical outlet.
The CARDIOVAD works through a system called counter pulsation. When the heart relaxes after a beat, the CARDIOVAD causes the internal bladder to inflate. The pressure displaces some of the blood in the aorta and forces it into circulation. As the heart contracts, or beats, the CARDIOVAD deflates, creating suction that helps to pull blood from the heart’s ventricle.
Traditional LVADs can decrease the workload on the heart by up to 100 percent. The CARDIOVAD decreases the workload by about 50 percent. But doctors say there are many benefits of the new device. Placement of the CARDIOVAD is easier on the patient than insertion of an LVAD. The heart isn’t touched and only a small incision is needed to access the aorta. In many cases, patients are able to leave the intensive care unit in three days. The main working components of the CARDIOVAD are located outside the body. So there are no internal parts to wear out and require replacement. Upgrades and repairs are done externally. The CARDIOVAD also gives patients control over their condition. The device can be disconnected from the button snap while the patient is at rest and reconnected when extra assist is needed for the heart.
Currently, the CARDIOVAD is in Phase I study at the University of Chicago. It is recommended for patients with class III or IV heart failure (moderate to severe symptoms) who don’t benefit enough from traditional therapy and aren’t candidates for a heart transplant.
Web Resources
For information about the cardiovad technology visit lvatech.com
For general information on heart failure:
American Heart Association Web site
Heart Failure Society of America Web site
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Web site
Save
Email
Print
Terms of Use -
PRIVACY POLICY/YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS -
EEO Statement
-
FCC Form 388
