Application of Wearable Novacor Left Ventricular Assist System for Patients with End-Stage Cardiomyopathy: Osaka Experience

Abstract

The wearable Novacor left ventricular assist system (LVAS) has been reported to be an effective supporting device providing advantages in patient quality of life. We recently ecperienced two cases of the implantation. One of them was the first case in Japan. Patient 1 was a 43-year-old male with dilated cardiomyopathy, in severe heart failure even with intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support and high doses of catecholamines. His cardiac index and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure before the implantation were 2.01·mir-1· m-2 and 18 mmHg, respectively. Patient 2 was a 55-year-old male with hypertrophied cardiomyopathy of dilated phase. He had been supported with the Toyobo-NCVC extracorporeal LVAS for 93 days; this was then replaced by the Novacor system in order to improve his activity in daily life. In both patients, flow rates ranging from 4 to 61/min were achieved with stable hemodynamics. Patient 1 developed strokes twice, with residual mild left hemiplegia. His neurological deficit has been compensated on the Novacor assist for 168 days. Patient 2 has been supported for 131 days now and is able to take a walk out of the hospital. Even under the situation in which heart transplantation is not a readily available option, the Novacor LVAS has a significant role in the management of patients with end-stage cardiomyopathy.