Initial Clinical Experience with Implantation of a New Left Ventricular Assist Device HeartCon

Abstract

Objective: Heart failure is a major health problem worldwide. We report the initial experience of a new left ventricular assist device (LVAD) Heartcon—a centrifugal pump of magnetic-fluid suspension rotor integrated with the pump and machine. From September 2020 to March 2023, HeartCon was implanted in a total of 78 cases throughout China, 27 were implanted in TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital. Methods: The patient data collected from the medical record included patient demographics, surgical and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) data, doses of transfused red blood cells, mechanical ventilation time (h), intensive care unit (ICU) stay time (d), and cardiac function indices assessed by echocardiography, 6-minute walk tests, and N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT proBNP) values. Results: All patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade IV before surgery and 21 had a dilated cardiomyopathy. All patients survived the surgery. One patient underwent heart transplantation 10 months after the implantation. Eight patients reported adverse event events. The duration of mechanical ventilation after operation was 37.8 ± 52.0 h. The incidence of hemorrhagic stroke was 7.4% and the incidence of mediastinal infection was 7.4%. At 90 day followup, 25 patients were in NYHA grade I and the other 2 patients were in grade II. Conclusion: We conclude that HeartCon implantation is a safe and useful LVAD for treatment of end-stage heart failure. It provides a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation time, and a lower incidence of hemorrhagic stroke and mediastinal infection.