At a press conference held at the National Research Center for Cardiac Surgery in Astana (Kazakhstan), heart failure experts from around the world announced the successful implantation of the fully Implanted ventricular assist device (FIVAD) into a human. Prior to the press conference, there was an article about the FIVAD implantation was published in the Journal for Heart and Lung Transplantation.
According to a press release, FIVAD is based on technology created by Leviticus Cardio. The device patented coplanar energy transfer to wirelessly power a ventricular assist Device and incorporates a heart pump produced by Jarvik Heart. Furthermore, FIVAD is a fully implanted ventricular assist dev device system, a Jarvik 2000 pump, powered wirelessly using both internal and external components designed by Leviticus Cardio, which allows patients to walk around without any physical impediments for up to eight hours a day.
FIVAD is also equipped with a back-up system (Jarvik Heart, Post Auricular driveline connection) which would allow moving to traditional wired power in case the wireless system failed. While the back-up was tested during the implant procedure, it has not been needed since that initial implant test.
After years of development and animal testing, the first implant of FIVAD in a human took place in December at the National Research Center for Cardiac Surgery in Astana, Kazakhstan. The operation was a success. The patient has been discharged from the hospital and is back leading a normal life. He was in the audience during the press conference and later sat down for interviews with journalists.
Among the guests from the medical community participating at the press conference were Mandeep Mehra (Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA), who is the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and Nir Uriel (University of Chicago, Chicago, USA), who is Charmian of the Mechanical Circulatory support council at the International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation. The leading cardiologists and cardiac surgeons who participated in the press conference included:
Pya Yuriy Vladimirovich (National Research Center for Cardiac Surgery, Astana, Kazakhstan), lead FIVAD surgeon; Ivan Netuka (Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic), who participated in the FIVAD surgery; Stephan Schueler (Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK); Jiri Maly (Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic), who participated in the FIVAD surgery; and Yigal Kassif (Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer, Israel).
Maly comments: “We were really satisfied how easy it was to position the internal components of Leviticus’ system during surgery. It exceeded our expectations during the operation. Simplicity of surgery has definitely contributed to the patients’ early recovery.”
Uriel says: “This is a significant improvement in the quality of life experienced by the patient. The patient has the freedom to go about his daily routine without having to worry about being connected to a power source via a driveline and can forget for a few hours that he is supported by a left ventricular assist device. We, the medical community, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, ventricular assist device coordinators and the patients have wanted this for decades.”
