Emory University Hospital makes history with the first U.S. implant of the innovative BrioVAD, a new heart assist device, as part of a nationwide clinical trial.
The heart failure and transplantation team at Emory University Hospital (EUH) achieved a milestone by performing the first-ever surgical implantation in the United States of a new type of ventricular assist device (VAD), offering essential support to patients with heart failure (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Emory heart team implants new blood-pumping device for first time in U.S.
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A skilled team led by experienced cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Mani Daneshmand successfully implanted a groundbreaking magnetically levitated pump, a type of ventricular assist device (VAD) designed for patient comfort and long-term health. The BrioVAD System, developed by BrioHealth Solutions Inc., received FDA approval to start clinical trials earlier this year. Emory was the first site to be enrolled in the trial and carry out the procedure.
As part of the INNOVATE clinical trial, Emory will participate in gathering data on patient experience with the device, joined by other leading medical institutions across the country, including Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Duke University, and University of Chicago.
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Rigorous Criteria Lead Emory to Join VAD Trial
The entry criteria for joining the study were rigorous. Emory qualified because of its high quality and extensive VAD experience. Emory has long led Metro Atlanta and the region in number and success rate of VAD implantations. Since the program began, Emory Healthcare has completed almost 1,000 VAD implants between EUH and Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital.
“We’re honored to be the first implanting site in this study,” Daneshmand says. “The BrioVAD is a promising heart assist pump, designed from the ground up with focus on patient safety and quality of life. With this study, we continue our long history of innovation in pursuit of our mission to bring compassionate, quality care to every patient who arrives at our doors seeking care.”
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The Evolution and Impact of VADs in Heart Failure Treatment
First used in the 1960s, VADs have been an effective treatment for patients with advanced heart failure, often providing an alternative for patients who don’t qualify for a transplant — which can mean the difference between life and death.
The lifesaving device, which has evolved significantly over the decades, works by providing mechanical circulatory support and helping to pump blood from the lower chambers of the heart to the rest of the body. Because the device is almost always placed on the left side of the heart, the device is frequently referred to as an LVAD.
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A Hemocompatible Solution for Heart Failure Treatment
The BrioVAD system is composed of a “hemocompatible blood pump,” meaning that it interacts with the blood in a way that may have fewer side effects. The new VAD also includes a fully magnetically levitated rotor and two small, lightweight, patient-worn components.
“The BrioVAD shows great promise to improve on the current, excellent LVAD technology we are using every day,” says Daneshmand, who is the Andrew J. McKelvey Professor at Emory School of Medicine and Director of Thoracic Transplant and MCS Surgery.
BrioVAD: A Lifelong Solution to Transplant?
The hope is that the new VAD may be used as life-long destination therapy, meaning that the VAD is used instead of transplant, or as bridge therapy to transplant or even for supporting recovery of the heart. The INNOVATE trial will assess the system performance in both the short term, with a six-month endpoint, and in the long term over the course of the next 24 months.
Reference:
- Emory heart team implants new blood-pumping device for first time in U.S. – (https://news.emory.edu/stories/2024/11/hs-briovad-heart-failure-clinical-trial/story.html)
Source-Eurekalert
