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In a long-running battle with severe congestive heart failure, 57-year-old John Van Dee needed something more to keep him going until he could get a new heart.
The answer came in the form of a new ventricular assist device (VAD) called HeartMate II. Recently approved by the FDA, the device is lighter and quieter than previous models.
Van Dee was the first patient in Iowa to receive the new technology. He wears a small battery pack over the shoulder and a controller on the belt. The VAD itself was implanted into Van Dee’s chest in April 2008.
HeartMate II helps the heart pump blood, promoting survival in patients awaiting heart transplants or offering a higher quality of life to those who are not transplant candidates because of age or other medical problems.
HeartMate II’s smaller size makes it more available to a wider range of patients, including many smaller women, according to UI Heart and Vascular Care specialists. The technology may also be more reliable, making support for longer times possible.
David Helman, MD, a physician with the UI Heart and Vascular Center, said the HeartMate II project is a collaborative effort with the Cardiomyopathy Treatment Program directed by Frances Johnson, MD. “This pump provides mechanical circulatory support to a wide range of patients with heart failure, and draws on our unique resources to provide comprehensive care from multiple disciplines,” he said.
Van Dee—a resident of Garwin, Iowa, who is on the list for a donor heart—said he feels better than at any time during the past two years. “I can do pretty much everything I want to do,” he said. |
