Researcher’s at UT Southwestern Medical Center are studying a new device to treat chronic congestive heart failure. The system uses catheter’s and a very small external pump.
The Cancion System, manufactured by Orqis Medical Corp., is a pump device that is introduced into the body via catheters inserted through tiny incisions in the groin. Once placed, the pump draws blood from the patient’s iliac artery – located in the pelvis – into a small external pump. From there, the blood goes through another catheter placed in the heart’s descending aorta, where it is re-introduced for continuous blood flow.
Thus it will improve …read more

There is a new tool out there to help patients that suffer from heart failure. HeartFailureCenter.com was developed to help consolidate information and provide a “one stop shop” if you will…
The new site is replete with a wide variety of information, from a patient health survey, heart condition information, treatment options and regional resource directories, to an extensive article library, blog, chat room, and the latest news and media clips featuring top experts in the field. There is even a printable list of “Questions to ask your Doctor,” a tool to help patients make the most of their medical visits.
Heart …read more

Protected by its own nutrients and blood supply, a beating heart supported by an investigational organ preservation device was successfully transplanted into a 47-year-old man with congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension on Sunday, April 8.
Very cool stuff! This pioneering surgery took place at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine using a heart that was maintained in a beating state on the investigational Organ Care System (OCS) for two hours and 45 minutes.
The recipient was discharged from the hospital on April 30th in good shape. The OCS keeps organs in their physiological, beating state during transportation to …read more