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SALT LAKE CITY -- A Utah company has taken another stride with the next generation of heart pumps. The first recipients of the latest device are quickly recovering from surgery.
Two patients in Oklahoma now have state-of-the-art assisted heart pumps designed and assembled in Salt Lake City. WorldHeart Corporation calls the Levacor Ventricular Assisted Device, or VAD, one of the most sophisticated medical devices ever made.
Doctors last week transplanted the WorldHeart fourth generation device into two patients in Oklahoma. [CLICK HERE for more on 59-year-old recipient Flora Floyd's transplant story]
The surgeon connects the VAD to the apex of the heart. The Levacor draws blood from the heart chamber, and increases the flow of blood around the heart to the aorta. The pumping assistance improves the blood output of the weakened heart.
CEO Alex Martin calls it the "space shuttle of medical devices."
"These devices provide the opportunity for patents to either be bridged to a future transplant or to actually live on the device for the rest of their lives," he said.
Martin says the device is so important because there are not enough transplant hearts for patients who need them.
"Not only is it taking over some of the function of providing better output," Martin said, "but it's also resting the heart and allowing it not to be under continuous stress."
Martin says the device is a big lifestyle improvement for patients, too. The VAD pumps blood more gently throughout the body. Plus, the external equipment for the patient is about half the size that it used to be, so it's a lot easier for them to live with.
Lab testing continues to make sure the device keeps pumping. In clinical trials, the company hopes to prove that the Levacor substantially reduces potential complication rates and lasts longer than current VADs. The University of Utah Medical Center will be one of 10 clinical test sites around the country.
"This is a very important development in reducing the complications and also the potential risks that are associated with the current generation of devices," said Martin.
Where does WorldHeart go from here? The company developed an even smaller device for pediatric patients that will also be helpful for adults. It's about the size of a double A battery.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
