Palmetto Health is first facility in South Carolina to implant the HeartMate 3™ LVAD outside of research trials

Palmetto Health is the first facility in South Carolina to implant the HeartMate 3™ Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) outside of research trials, and is proud to add this device to its arsenal of tools in the fight against heart disease. An LVAD is a mechanical pump that assists heart function and blood flow. Powered by a battery pack worn outside the patient’s body, LVAD can provide increased quality of life, allowing patients to carry out daily activities with minimal restrictions. This latest generation LVAD is smaller in size and deploys technology to reduce trauma to the blood cells passing through the pump while optimizing blood flow. Improved blood flow can help minimize complications that can be associated with LVAD therapy, ultimately improving the patient’s quality of life.

Jeffery Martin, M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon with Palmetto Health-USC Carolina Cardiac Surgery Associates said, “I am glad to be able to offer the HeartMate 3™ LVAD here at Palmetto Health. The more options we have enable us to tailor the therapy to best suit our patients’ needs.”

More than 5.7 million people in the U.S. suffer from heart failure and approximately 915,000 new patients are diagnosed with the disease each year. For advanced heart failure patients who can no longer rely on earlier stage treatment options, an LVAD can help their weakened heart pump blood through the body and provide crucial support as patients await further treatment, including heart transplants.

The Advanced Heart Health Center at Palmetto Health Heart Hospital is a leading-edge facility staffed by a multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing the highest quality of care. The center cares for people suffering from heart failure and heart disease associated with valve damage. Patients can complete cardiac testing and receive treatment from a heart failure team led by Patrick McCann, M.D., a board certified heart failure and transplant cardiologist, in one convenient location.

The HeartMate 3 system uses Full MagLev™ (fully magnetically-levitated) Flow technology, which allows the device’s rotor to be suspended by magnetic forces. The goal is to gently pass the blood cells through the pump. The magnets keep the rotor in place by calibrating tens of thousands of times per second to ensure it stays suspended and centered within the pump, no matter the speed settings used by a physician. This ensures the pump is performing effectively while continuing to deliver the best patient therapy possible.

U.S. approval of the system was supported by the Momentum 3 clinical study. In that study, patients who received this device had a significant improvement in their heart failure status, an 83 percent increase in their walk distance and a 68 percent improvement in quality of life at six months. Patients receiving the device also had an 86 percent survival rate with freedom from disabling stroke and reoperation to replace the pump at six months.

For more information about the Advanced Heart Health Center at Palmetto Health Heart Hospital, call 803-434-2762.