




Healthcare Industry News: ventricular assist device
News Release - June 11, 2009
4 Top Transplant Hospitals Honored as "Best of the Best" for Total Artificial Heart
Cleveland Clinic, German Heart Institute Berlin, VCU Medical Center and Phoenix-Area Hospital Recognized as 100% CentersTUCSON, Ariz.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--SynCardia Systems, Inc., manufacturer of the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart, has honored the following transplant centers for achieving 100% success rates for 5 or more consecutive patients implanted with the Total Artificial Heart. Patient success is defined as bridged-to-transplant or currently listed for transplant.
- Phoenix-area hospital – 9 in a row
- Cleveland Clinic – 7 in a rowDr. Nicholas Smedira – Director of the Cardiac Transplantation and ventricular assist device Therapies Program
- Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center – 5 in a rowDr. Vigneshwar Kasirajan – Chair of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
- German Heart Institute Berlin (DHZB) – 5 in a rowProf. Roland Hetzer – Chairman, Professor of Surgery, Medical Director
“We have implanted 22 of the SynCardia Total Artificial Hearts and have had very good outcomes,” said Dr. Kasirajan. “We have had fewer complications with infection or embolic events with the Total Artificial Heart than with left ventricular assist devices.”
VCU Medical Center and the Phoenix-area hospital were honored as 100% Centers for the second consecutive year.
Since becoming a SynCardia Certified Center in August 2007, the Phoenix-area hospital has achieved a 92% overall success rate. Out of 12 patients, 11 are successes: 9 have been transplanted and 2 are currently waiting for a matching donor heart.
Since becoming a SynCardia Certified Center in April 2006, VCU Medical Center has achieved an 86% overall success rate. Out of 22 patients, 19 are successes: 15 have been transplanted and 4 are currently waiting for a matching donor heart.
“People who need the Total Artificial Heart are often days, if not hours from death,” said Rodger Ford, CEO and President of SynCardia. “SynCardia Certified Centers are saving the ‘sickest of the sick’ by bridging them to life with the Total Artificial Heart.”
Originally designed as a permanent replacement heart, the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to human heart transplant for patients dying from end-stage biventricular failure. It is the only device that provides immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 L/min through both ventricles.
The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is the first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart in the world. There have been more than 790 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for more than 160 patient years of life on the device.
Source: SynCardia Systems
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