Clinical results with Jarvik 2000 axial flow left ventricular assist device: Osaka University Experience

The aim of this study was to evaluate our clinical experience with the Jarvik 2000 axial flow pump (Jarvik Heart, Inc, New York, NY, USA), a miniature axial flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The clinical results of eight patients, who underwent LVAD implantation with the Jarvik 2000 (median age 55.0 years; six men) between 2005 and 2010, including two who participated in a multicenter clinical trial in Japan, were reviewed. Two patients underwent LVAD implantation as destination therapy. Four patients underwent Jarvik 2000 implantation via median sternotomy, while the other four underwent implantation via left thoracotomy. There were no major complications during surgery. Four patients were supported for more than 2 years. The longest support duration was 1,618 days. Six patients successfully bridged to heart transplantation after a median 725 days of support. One patient on destination therapy died of a cerebral infarction. The other patient on destination therapy had had the LVAD for 1,618 days. The overall survival rates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 100, 86, and 86 %, respectively. The median postoperative serum lactate dehydrogenase level was 860.5 U/L at 1 month, 735 U/L at 6 months, and 692 U/L at 1 year. There were no fatal device-related infections. We found that the Jarvik 2000 with pin bearing could support patients with end-stage heart failure with acceptable mortality and morbidity rates. Further evaluations of the prevalence of thromboembolic and hemolytic events in patients with the new conical-bearing Jarvik 2000 are required.