First Test in Human for Abiomed’s Ventricular Assist Device

The Impella cVAD successfully has been used for the first time in a human, reported the device’s manufacturer, Danvers, Mass.-based Abiomed Inc. The cVAD, a cardiac ventricular assist device, is a temporary implant intended to provide circulatory support and reduce the workload of the heart muscle. A catheter-based pump, it is implanted percutaneously (via needle instead of surgery) in the catheterization lab.

The Impella cVAD is the next-generation version of Abiomed’s product the Impella heart pump, which the company billed back in 2008 as the “world’s smallest heart pump.”

The first patient to use this device is 85 years old with complex coronary artery disease, compromised left heart function, and prior myocardial infarction. The patient’s left ventricle was ejecting only 20 percent of the optimal amount of blood, and therefore needed the aid of a ventricular assist device. After surgery, which took place in December, the patient reported relief from chest pain caused by the lack of oxygen to their heart (angina). According to the company, the cVAD is able to generate a flow of up to 4 liters of blood per minute. After implantation, the patient’s average blood flow was 3.5 liters per minute, with a peak flow of 4 liters per minute.

The implantation was performed at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Quebec by Giuseppe Martucci, M.D., co-director of the Adult Intervention Congenital and Structural Health Disease Laboratory at the MUHC. Martucci was accompanied by Renzo Cecere, M.D., Luc Bilodeau, M.D., and Nicolo Piazza M.D.

Abiomed is primarily focused on minimally invasive heart recovery devices.