For more than a decade, surgeons in the Kaufman Center have successfully utilized the strategy of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) as bridge-to-transplant. The Cleveland Clinic is one of the few institutions worldwide which has access to all FDA approved devices, as well as new investigational devices. This allows us to choose the device which will best suit an individual patient's clinical needs.
Lessons learned with the bridge to transplant experience have resulted in our ability to provide LVAD as permanent or “destination” therapy. For selected individuals with severe, refractory heart failure, the Kaufman Center has been approved by CMS to offer this life saving therapy. Click here to learn more about LVAD.
In collaboration with the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the Department of Biomedical Engineering has been working on the development of three cardiac mechanical assist devices covering the range of use — from bridge-to-transplant to permanent support, pediatric to adult support, with continuous flow to pulsatile flow.
Coraide: CorAide™: Completely developed at The Cleveland Clinic, the CorAide™ pump is a magnetically suspended centrifugal pump entering clinical trials this year in Europe.This technology is now owned by Arrow International. Click here to learn more about biomechanical devices.
MagScrew Pump: An ingenious pump that can support one or both ventricles.This technology is being developed for left and right ventricular support, and a total artificial heart prototype is under development.
Miniature Magnetic Bearing Pump (Pedi-Pump): A $4.3- million NIH grant was awarded to The Cleveland Clinic to develop and test the use of a tiny (7 mm) pediatric pump for bridge-to-transplant applications. Click here to learn more
J. Frederick Cornhill, D.Phil., chairman of the Biomedical Engineering Department, concludes, "We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach for end-stage heart failure at the Cleveland Clinic. Our multifaceted research and development will help us find the best solution for patients of all ages, sizes and conditions."
Click here to find related publications written by Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute physicians
Click here to learn more about the Kaufman Center for Heart Failure
