HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Daniel Y. Loisance Piet G.M. Jansen Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Loisance, D. Y. Articles by Portner, P. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Loisance, D. Y. Articles by Portner, P. M.

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2000;18:220-224
© 2000 Elsevier Science NL

Long-term mechanical circulatory support with the wearable Novacor left ventricular assist system

^a Department of Cardiac Surgery, CNRS and Claude Bernard Association, University Hospital Henri Mondor, 51 Avenue du Maréchal De Lattre de Tassigny, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
^b Edwards Lifesciences, Novacor Division, Utrecht, Netherlands
^c Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

Received 7 September 1999; received in revised form 26 April 2000; accepted 10 May 2000.

Corresponding author. Tel.: +33-1-49-81-21-51; fax: +33-1-49-81-21-52
e-mail: loisance{at}univ-paris12.fr

Objective: As of July 1st 1999, 36 European patients have lived for more than 1 year supported by the Novacor wearable electric left ventricular assist system (LVAS). All were unresponsive to maximum medical therapy, prior to implantation. These patients offer an unique opportunity to evaluate the feasibility of long-term ambulatory mechanical circulatory support as a therapeutic option for patients in profound cardiac failure. Methods: Data was obtained from the Novacor European Registry. Results: At the time of implantation, median age was 55 (18–67) years. Aetiology was ischemic (9, 25%) or idiopathic (26, 72%) cardiomyopathy, and myocarditis (1, 3%). Median duration of LVAS support was 1.49 (1.03–4.10) years. Eight recipients had LVAS support times >2 years, of which two were >3 years and one >4 years. The median time spent outside the hospital was 1.27 (0.58–3.83) years, representing 82% of the duration of LVAS support. No mechanical failure was observed during the entire observation period. One pump was replaced electively after 3.67 years due to pump driver wear-out. Twelve patients (33%) are currently on support while 17 were transplanted (14, 39%) or weaned (3, 8%). Seven (19%) patients died after a median of 1.24 years circulatory support. Conclusions: Experience with long-term Novacor LVAS recipients has demonstrated effective rehabilitation in this group of patients with refractory advanced heart failure. This suggests that LVAS therapy may offer a safe and realistic option for patients for whom no other effective therapy is available. The patient sub-population that would benefit most from this therapy remains to be defined.

Key Words: Cardiac failure • Mechanical circulatory support

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. L. Holman, J. E. Davies, B. K. Rayburn, D. C. McGiffin, B. A. Foley, R. L. Benza, R. C. Bourge, P. Blood, and J. K. Kirklin Treatment of end-stage heart disease with outpatient ventricular assist devices Ann. Thorac. Surg., May 1, 2002; 73(5): 1489 - 1494. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. N. Pierson III, R. Howser, T. Donaldson, W. H. Merrill, R. J. Dignan, D. C. Drinkwater Jr, K. G. Christian, J. Butler, D. Chomsky, J. R. Wilson, et al. Left ventricular assist device implantation via left thoracotomy: alternative to repeat sternotomy Ann. Thorac. Surg., March 1, 2002; 73(3): 997 - 999. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]