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MURRAY -- There is an artificial heart that can fit in the palm of your hand. This technology has the potential to be a revolutionary advancement for heart transplant patients.
Heart failure is the leading cause of death in the world, estimated to impact over 20 million people; nearly 5 million in the U.S. alone.
It's being tested at Intermountain Medical Center -- one of only 40 centers in the nation taking part.
It's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Artificial hearts in the recent past, last year or even from the early '90s, now seem huge by comparison.
"This is the difference between the 8-track tape and the iPod," said Dr. Bruce Reid with the IMC Artificial Heart Program. "That's the magnitude of the movement forward."
Each year 550,000 new heart failure cases are diagnosed in the U.S.; some 300,000 patients die as a result.
Doctors from Intermountain Medical Center's Heart Institute are excited about the HeartWare HVAD. In its initial trial -- 6 months -- the device will be a "bridge" for patients with a failing heart who are waiting for a live transplant. This is more important in an age of limited transplant organs.
A.G. Kfoury, a heart-failure expert at the IMC Heart Institute, said, "The improvement in the technology of the artificial pumps couldn't have come at a better time because the waiting times are getting longer."
Patients will benefit from the technology in the device. It's called an impeller. It circulates blood, suspended inside by both magnetic and hydrodynamic forces. It works almost without friction.
Because it's so small, recovery time for patients could be shorter. It could make a difference to about 50 patients a year in Utah.
There are as many as 2,000 transplant patients nationwide. Eventually, the device might be used as a permanent device -- either way, a way to extend life.
IMC is the only medical center in the intermountain west that has access to the new technology.
This device could be a major step toward combating heart failure due to heart disease -- the leading cause of death in the world.
E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com
