Chicago Man 1st In Nation To Receive New Heart-Pump Device, Implanted By Physicians At Advocate Christ Medical Center

OAK LAWN, Ill., April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A 72-year-old Chicago man is being discharged from Advocate Christ Medical Center today (Wednesday, April 13), after becoming the first person in the nation to receive the HeartMate II(R) LVAS (Left Ventricular Assist Device) for ongoing, permanent support of his failing heart, otherwise known as Destination Therapy (DT).

Developed by Thoratec(R) Corporation, the HeartMate II is just over 3 inches long and about 1 and 3/4 inches in diameter, making it significantly smaller than current FDA premarket approval devices. The national pivotal trial will determine the safety and efficacy of the device as DT in late-stage heart failure patients and will involve 200 total patients at up to 40 sites, randomizing the HeartMate II to the HeartMate(R) XVE LVAS. Currently, Thoratec's HeartMate XVE is the only commercially available LVAS approved for DT by the United States Food and Drug Administration. In a separate arm of the study, the HeartMate II will be evaluated as a bridge-to-transplant (BTT) for late-stage heart failure patients who are eligible for cardiac transplantation but in need of temporary support until a donor heart becomes available. Up to 25 sites will enroll a total of 133 patients in the BTT arm.

The Chicago patient is the first person to be randomly selected to receive the HeartMate II for DTl. Advocate Christ Medical Center is the only center in Illinois with this innovative device for treatment of heart failure.

Dr. Mark Slaughter, who directs the mechanical assist device program at Christ Medical Center, led the team that implanted the new device in the Chicago man during a four-hour operation on March 21.

Both Slaughter and the patient will be available for photos, videotaping and interviews at 11 a.m. today, April 13. News media representatives who are interested in the story should contact Mike Maggio at 708-346-5063 or Deborah Song at 708-346-5061. Otherwise, just go to the information desk in the main lobby of the hospital and ask for either Mike or Deb in the public relations office.

Advocate Christ Medical Center

CONTACT: Mike Maggio, Director, Public Relations for Advocate ChristMedical Center, +1-708-346-5063

Web site: http://www.advocatehealth.com/