Jewish Hospital Stops Performing Abiomed's AbioCor Implants
The statement did not provide a reason for the decision, and hospital officials could not be reached for comment.
The AbioCor replacement heart, made by Danvers, Mass.-based Abiomed Inc., is intended for people who are not eligible for a heart transplant and who are unlikely to live more than a month without intervention.
Jewish Hospital was an AbioCor clinical trial site and performed the first implant of the device in 2001.
In 2006, it was chosen to be among the first hospitals in the nation to offer patients the AbioCor after the device was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The hospital has implanted a total of seven AbioCor artificial hearts.
"We believe the work that was performed by the physicians and our team has helped evolve heart research in a very positive way," Simon said in the statement.
She said the hospital will continue to participate in research studies with AbioMed at the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, a heart research facility run by Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare and the University of Louisville.
Published January 24, 2008 by Business First