Emory doctors first in U.S. to successfully perform new 'experimental' heart pump surgery

ATLANTA - Doctors at Emory University Healthcare made history by becoming the first group in the U.S. to successfully implant a new experimental heart pump designed to help patients dealing with heart failure.

The FDA approved clinical trials for the new ventricular assistance device (VAD) earlier this year. Emory is one of a handful of programs participating in the clinical trial with hopes of proving it to be a more safe and effective treatment option for patients in need.

"Leading a research study like this really is in line with our mission," Dr. Mani Daneshmand said Wednesday. "Heart failure is the leading cause of death for heart patients in the United States."

It’s an alternative to heart transplant surgery, which the medical community has increasingly relied on with the supply of hearts limited.

"As our LVADs get better and better, the quality of life gets better and better, and the longevity gets better and better," Daneshmand told FOX 5.

Daneshmand is the Director of Heart and Lung Transplant for Emory’s Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He said this latest device developed by a company called BrioHealth is the first significant advancement in VAD technology in the last 5–10 years. 

"This new device has kind of been designed from the ground up with the intention of being very biocompatible and to address a lot of the previous issues with other devices," he explained.

Believed to lower a heart patient’s risk of stroke and blood clots, he said in terms of patient life expectancy, research is showing the technology is in line with the results a transplant would yield.

The device is not yet FDA approved, but health experts said it’s possible it could allow a patient to live comfortably for decades. 

Other groups participating in the clinical trial include the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Duke University, and the University of Chicago.