Fully Magnetically Levitated Left Ventricular Assist System for Treating Advanced HF A Multicenter Study
Abstract
BACKGROUND The HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist system (LVAS) is intended to provide long-term support to patients with advanced heart failure. The centrifugal flow pump is designed for enhanced hemocompatibility by incorporating a magnetically levitated rotor with wide blood-flow paths and an artificial pulse.
OBJECTIVES The aim of this single-arm, prospective, multicenter study was to evaluate the performance and safety of this LVAS. METHODS The primary endpoint was 6-month survival compared with INTERMACS (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support)-derived performance goal.
Patients were adults with ejection fraction 3) (8%). There were no pump exchanges, pump malfunctions, pump thrombosis, or hemolysis events.
New York Heart Association classification, 6-min walk test, and quality-of-life scores showed progressive and sustained improvement. CONCLUSIONS The results show that the fully magnetically levitated centrifugal-flow chronic LVAS is safe, with high 30-day and 6-month survival rates, a favorable adverse event profile, and improved quality of life and functional status.