Philadelphia-based Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, part of Penn State Health, has introduced a new mechanical pump implant meant to treat patients with severe heart failure, making it the second in the country to perform the procedure, the hospital said Feb. 23.
The EVAHEART 2 left ventricular assist device is meant as either a long-term therapy or as a bridge to heart transplant. It reduces some of the risks associated with standard LVADs, such as stroke and gastrointestinal bleeding, according to the news release.
Richard Huggins, 75, a resident of Lock Haven, Pa., became the second patient in the U.S. to undergo the procedure Jan. 14 at the hospital.
The treatment is part of an ongoing clinical study assessing the use of the device across 40 clinical sites. It involves 399 severe heart failure patients and will continue through 2022.
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