Using an Artificial Heart as a Bridge to Transplant

For patients with end-stage heart failure, cardiac transplantation improves quality of life and longevity. Unfortunately, not enough donor hearts are available for the estimated 30,000 to 70,000 Americans who could benefit from them. Mechanical circulatory-support devices (left-ventricular and biventricular assist devices) are approved as "bridges to transplant" and as destination therapy for people who are not transplant candidates. However, such devices can be associated with adverse neurologic events, infection, bleeding, and poor outcomes, and are contraindicated in many patients.

In a manufacturer-funded, prospective study of patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure, researchers tested the investigational CardioWest Total Art…