Initial clinical experience with the Symphony heart assist system.

Purpose: Current cardiac assist devices provide full support, require a major operation, and function asynchronously to the native heart. In contrast, we developed a novel circulatory support device that provides synchronous partial support and can be placed with a minor operation. We report the first clinical implantation with the Symphony device (Abiomed, Danvers, MA).
Description: Patients with advanced heart failure despite optimal therapy who had exhausted all options were evaluated. A 64-year-old man with ischemic cardiomyopathy underwent implantation of the Symphony device in the right infraclavicular fossa.
Evaluation: After initiating device support, the cardiac index increased from 1.7 to 2.5 L/min/m(2), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased from 26 to 13 mm Hg, right atrial pressure decreased from 12 to 7 mm Hg, creatinine level decreased from 2.3 to 1.5 mg/dL, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class improved from IIIB to II.
Conclusions: Placement of the Symphony device resulted in improvements in hemodynamics and functional status. Further clinical data will help define the role for this approach of partial synchronous support through a less invasive operation in patients with advanced heart failure.
(Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)