First clinical implant of the VentrAssist left ventricular assist system as destination therapy for end-stage heart failure.

The VentrAssist device left ventricular assist system, designed for permanent implantation, is a novel centrifugal pump with a hydrodynamically suspended rotor. The first human implant was into a 72-year-old man with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV heart failure due to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The implant and recovery were uneventful, and the patient survives at 17 months, is NYHA class II, and lives at home. This device shows promise in end-stage heart failure for permanent implantation and bridge to transplantation.