13 Year Old Colby Was JUST Implanted With an LVAD/ Please Check Out His Link

Hello all, Colby is 13 years old, he has just been implanted with an LVAD!!! I was tweeting with his Mom in the early AM this morning.  He has won over my heart... Wowwww.... PLEASE spread the word read more at his link...

CLICK HERE FOR COLBY'S LINK 

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

Well Done THORATEC! Heartmate III GOES INTO TRIAL!

Yes I haven't posted in a very long time.

Yes I have received a lot of emails asking if I am ok?

Yes I have not been on my personal FB acct.

Yes I have driven my FIRST New York to Cali back to NY road trip since doing 4 of them, pre-LVAD back in 2009.

Yes I have driven my SECOND New York to Cali back to NY road trip THIS YEAR!

Yes I have driven my THIRD New York to Cali back to NY road trip THIS YEAR! 

Yes I AM HAPPY THAT THORATEC FORGES ON WITH LVAD DEVELOPMENT, OFFERING FOLKS A SECOND CHANCE to forge on with their lives with reinstated STAMINA.

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

RECOGNIZING DR DeBakey AND A HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

Something goofy i wanted to work on and here it is :-) HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL... I AM BLESSED FOR A BETTER LIFE BECAUSE OF MY LVAD. THANK YOU COLUMBIA NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL AND THORATEC...

...THANK YOU FROM MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

HEARTMATES TOO WITH THE HEARTMATE II / "LIVING THE NEW NORM HAPPILY!"

WHO HAS THE LVAD?

Look carefully, the ugly one in the grey hat has the LVAD :-)... Me! My driveline exits my body, yet for a moment, my wife gives me a break wearing my batteries and controller. My whole family plays a roll in living the NEW NORM with me ! My wife and family and my LVAD... Living the new norm happily :-)

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

LVAD Leaving The Pioneering Stage. Thank You Thoratec For The "ROADMAP" Study/Taking The Initiative

To me this translates into The LVAD Leaving Its Pioneering Stage and the better understanding of -WHAT Works And What Doesn't Work- Regarding therapies and medicine regiments. Its happening folks, a better quality of life for all LVAD recipients NOW and in the Future through epidemiological studies. Thank You Thoratec.

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of the HeartMate II (HM II) Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) support versus OMM in ambulatory NYHA Class IIIB/IV heart failure patients who are not dependent on intravenous inotropic support and who meet the FDA approved indications for HM II LVAD destination therapy.


Condition Intervention
Heart Failure
Device: HM II (HeartMate II LVAD)
Drug: OMM (Optimal Medical Management)



Study Type: Observational
Study Design: Observational Model: Cohort
Time Perspective: Prospective
Official Title: Risk Assessment and Comparative Effectiveness of Left Ventricular Assist Device and Medical Management in Ambulatory Heart Failure Patients


Resource links provided by NLM:


MedlinePlus related topics: Heart Failure
U.S. FDA Resources



Further study details as provided by Thoratec Corporation:


Primary Outcome Measures:
•Composite of survival with improvement in Six Minute Hallway Walk Test distance from baseline of ≥ 75m. [ Time Frame: 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]


Secondary Outcome Measures:
•Risk stratified subgroup analysis of the primary endpoint and temporal analysis of primary endpoint. [ Time Frame: 6, 12, 18, and 24 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

•Accuracy of prognostic survival risk models including Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) and HeartMate II Risk Score (HMRS) [ Time Frame: Baseline and 6, 12, 18 and 24 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

•Actuarial survival and survival free of stroke: a) intent-to-treat; and b) as treated. [ Time Frame: 24 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

•Survival in LVAD group free of pump replacement. [ Time Frame: 24 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

•Quality of Life using the EQ-5D-5L Health Utility Index. [ Time Frame: Baseline and 6, 12, 18 and 24 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

•Depression using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). [ Time Frame: Baseline and 6, 12, 18 and 24 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

•Questionnaire on patient decisions related to LVAD therapy versus optimal medical management. [ Time Frame: Baseline and 6, 12, 18 and 24 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

•Functional status using 6MWT distance and NYHA Classification [ Time Frame: Baseline and 6, 12, 18 and 24 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

•Incidence of adverse events, rehospitalizations, days alive and not hospitalized. [ Time Frame: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]


Estimated Enrollment: 200
Estimated Study Completion Date: December 2015
Groups/Cohorts Assigned Interventions
HM II (HeartMate II LVAD)
Subjects who elect to, and receive HM II LVAD therapy at baseline
Intervention: Device: HM II (HeartMate II LVAD) Device: HM II (HeartMate II LVAD)
The HM II pump contains a single moving component, the rotor. The pump is implanted just below the left hemidiaphragm with the inflow attached to the apex of the left ventricle and the outflow graft anastomosed to the ascending aorta. Blood is pumped continuously throughout the cardiac cycle from the left ventricle to the aorta.
Other Name: Left Ventricular Assist Device
OMM (Optimal Medical Management)
Subjects who elect to remain on optimal medical management
Intervention: Drug: OMM (Optimal Medical Management) Drug: OMM (Optimal Medical Management)
Optimal medical management per established heart failure guidelines for this subject population including ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and aldosterone antagonists 45 out of the last 60 days or an inability to tolerate neurohormonal antagonists.
Other Name: Medical Management


Detailed Description:
The HeartMate II (HM II) LVAD is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in destination therapy (DT) patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class IIIB/IV symptoms.

The ROADMAP trial is a prospective, multi-center, non-randomized, controlled, observational study that is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of HM II LVAD support versus optimal medical management (OMM) in ambulatory NYHA Class IIIB/IV heart failure patients who are not dependent on intravenous inotropic support and who meet the FDA approved indications for HM II LVAD destination therapy. Subjects will be enrolled in one of two cohorts: OMM or LVAD. Together with the investigator, the subjects will decide which cohort to enter into at their baseline visit. This study will include experienced HM II LVAD implant centers as well as community centers that care for a large volume of heart failure patients. Study patients will be followed for up to 24 months post enrollment for survival, quality of life and functional status.

Eligibility


Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years to 85 Years
Genders Eligible for Study: Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population
HM II implanting centers and community/referral heart failure clinics

Criteria
The following are general criteria; more specific criteria are included in the study protocol:

Inclusion Criteria:

•NYHA Class IIIB/IV (refer to Appendix IV for definitions)
•Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 25%
•Not currently listed for heart transplantation, and not planned in next 12 months
•On optimal medical management
•Limited functional status as demonstrated by 6MWT <300 meters •At least: ◦One hospitalization for HF in last 12 months or ◦At least 2 unscheduled emergency room or infusion clinic visits (may include intravenous diuretic therapy, etc.) for HF in last 12 months Exclusion Criteria: •Presence of mechanical aortic or mitral valve, including planned conversion to bioprosthesis •Platelet count < 100,000/mi within 48 prior to enrollment •Any inotrope use within 30 days prior to enrollment •Inability to perform 6MWT for any reason •Any condition, other than heart failure, that could limit survival to less than 2 years •History of cardiac or other organ transplant •Existence of any ongoing mechanical circulatory support (including intraaortic balloon pump, temporary circulatory support devices, etc.) at the time of enrollment •Presence of active, uncontrolled, systemic infection •History of an unresolved stroke within 90 days prior to enrollment, or a history of cerebral vascular disease with significant (> 80%)extracranial stenosis
•Contraindication to anticoagulation/antiplatelet therapy
•CRT or CRT-D within 3 months prior to enrollment
•Coronary revascularization (e.g. CABG, PCI) within 3 months prior to enrollment
Contacts and Locations

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01452802

Responsible Party: Thoratec Corporation ( Thoratec Corporation )
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01452802 History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: TC07272011
Study First Received: October 12, 2011
Last Updated: October 14, 2011
Health Authority: United States: Institutional Review Board

Keywords provided by Thoratec Corporation:
HeartMate II
heart-assist device
medical management
optimal medical management
Heart Failure NYHA Class IIIB/IV



Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Heart Failure
Heart Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases



ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on November 03, 2011

Direct Link Here:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01452802?term=roadmap+thoratec&rank=1

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

Former Vice President Dick Cheney Shows Off Heartmate II Batteries and Alarms,,,

Shown here is Former VP Cheney at an interview showing his LVAD 14 Hour Batteries. He also removed one of his 2 required batteries... showing that the LVAD system has back-up safety features with audible alarms. This is a great photo!

And The Good Saga Continues...

To My Donor Family, THORATEC, THANK YOU... For My 2nd Beautiful Life.

Having an “LVAD Implant” myself and with the notion that this may sound strange to most… I feel that THORATEC is concurrently (as close to being) MY Heart Donor and Donor family. And why not?!?

My Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)… the LVAD, the Heartmate II (HMII) by Thoratec… is born out of Love, passion, dedication, RESPECT and Love for life. The HMII is a the Gift given to folks with end stage heart failure. It is a chance to restore life with quality and stamina; to previous levels or even better… it has for me.

On September 5th, 2011 at Yankee Stadium an LVAD, My LVAD was in attendance.

Is this not what being a donor and donor family is all about too? I say all of this with confidence as I have met with many Thoratec Employees at every level. We’ve exchanged emails and phone calls as well as face to face planned and unplanned meetings, a Company tour of Headquarters and “The Plant” where the Heartmate II is assembled and tested. I even tweet with a few...

Me and my wife, friend and my Caregiver.

Like a caring Family, Thoratec ongoing projects are visionary that constantly update the quality of life for their LVADers now and in the future. Every step of the way, every angle, their daily mission is focused on the NOW and the future. This will ensure the possibility for more folks with End Stage Heart Failure their own re-Birthday, a second chance… Life restored with quality. My LVAD HeartMate II Birthday cake

The Heartmate II constantly gives back to me what my heart attack took away from me. Thank you Thoratec, my donor Family, for my 2nd Beautiful Life. Thank you to all responsible for developing the LVAD throughout history.
(Thoratec, along with every other Medical Device company… is in the business to make money and profit. I do not own $tock in Thoratec nor have any other stock market investments. However, I do want Thoratec and other proven Health Industry manufacturers to be successful and make a profit! Why wouldn’t I? I want them to save even more lives; giving more people that second chance. Sparing families of the immediate loss of a loved one.)

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

VP Cheney Disconnects One Of His LVAD Batteries Alarms/Beeps Are Set Off:

Former Vice President disconnects one HeartMate II Lithium LVAD battery, showing how intricately safe the battery back-up system can be....








http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/cheney-disconnects-his-heart-pump-battery-du

And The Good Saga Continues...

Today Is My 1 Year Anniversary With The LVAD / Can Not Become A Fish And Forget About The Water

As I write this, 1 year ago today, to the moment and the second... Dr Naka and his team implanted the LVAD into my chest and grafted it to my heart. I remember this day clearly. An hour prior to surgery, I was in my hospital bed preparing for the LVAD.

The night before my wife had brought in my hair buzzer. My only request to the nurses and doctors the morning of my surgery was being able to buzz/cut my own hair. Prior to my heart attack, i would be able to buzz my hair in under 10 minutes. On November 23, 2009 with a failing heart, it took me an hour to buzz my hair. But I did it!

Extremely fatigued and out of breath from buzzing my hair, I felt proud and accomplished that I completed what I set out to do... a fresh haircut for surgery.

:-) and 15 minutes later I was taken to surgery.

This past year has been a great gift of life for me. A second opportunity to live. A second opportunity to have a quality of life that was close to the one I had before my massive heart attack.

Living with the LVAD is a major adjustment to life. However the trade-off is well worth it. Without the LVAD my heart would not be able to supply me with the energy to walk 5 feet. The LVAD has restored my stamina to the point that my walking is UNLIMITED! This is why I say to other LVAD recipients/patients that WE Can Not Become Fish That Forgets About Water.

It is somewhat easy for me to forget I have an LVAD. I do watch my diet, take all my meds, visit the Doc on a regular basis... but at times I have to remind myself to slow down and pace myself.

There are risks with the LVAD that can cause death such as strokes and infection of the exit site.
These 2 risks run through my head as reminders that I must be careful with keeping the driveline still and secured so that it doesnt move or tug on the exit site as movement of the driveline can turn into an infected exit site. The best course for anyone to avoid infections is to LISTEN to their LVAD TEAM regarding what to do and what NOT to do.

In reference to clotting and strokes, LVAD patients are on blood thinning meds such as Coumadin. Taking my scheduled daily dose of Coumadin and keeping under the correct amount of daily vitamin K intake ( such as vegetable greens... lettuce, spinach, broccoli... etc) will keep the risk of clotting at bay.

So in closing (for now) I am very grateful for this year with the LVAD and the quality of life it has retored into my daily activities and life overall!

AND THE GOOD SAGA CONTINUES...

NEW Photos Of Former Vice President Cheney Making Giant LVAD Step October 2010

I have been following the Former Vice President's LVAD story on a daily basis since the news broke in mid July. I too have an LVAD, and to see a Public Figure with VP Cheney's recognition receive an LVAD implant and perform about his daily activities and duties, sends reassurances to the LVAD community and to the public as a whole that a Life can be saved and restored with the same or even more intensity; despite End Stage Heart Failure.

Below I found these great photos, the first of the Cheney's in public since the VP had his implant.

This photo above of the VP and his wife is my favorite... the proud and humbling smile caught on the VP's face is that given to a wife for her unconditional love and being his #1 Care-giver!

Lynn Cheney interviewing her own husband.

Don't let the "frail" appearance throw you off, Life with the LVAD improves Day By Day, Week By Week and Month By Month. I am very happy and proud that VP Cheney is winning the good fight.

And the Good Saga Continues...

Me, My LVAD And A BAT :-) The Video!

Left ventricular assist device made by Thoratec Saved and restored my life.

The LVAD that I have is a HeartMate II. Its purpose is to bypass my damaged Left Ventricle by pumping oxygen enriched blood into my brain, lungs and body. Its kind of a partial artificial heart, but really a blood pump. It is a manmade miracle! before i had the implant i was horizontal on a hospital bed 24/7 with little time left to live and with poor quality of life... now i can swing a bat again :-) Thank you "LVAD NATION" 7th Floor, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in NYC

Here is a video that is my "living proof" :-)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4A1yTvFOnk

And the Good Saga continues...

Large LVAD Community Cheering Vice President Cheney

After attending the HeartMate II Ambassador Summit in Pleasanton, California, I was constantly asked how VP Cheney is faring. I only know as much as the rest. My knowledge of VP Cheney's recovery is as good as what's being released in the media. In an earlier post, I cited remarks made by his daughter, Liz Cheney and linked a radio interview that she made, where she stated that her Dad is doing well.

I would just like to express that there will be a day, maybe now, that Former Vice President Dick Cheney will become an LVAD Recipient, rather than an LVAD Patient. That threshold is realistic and obtainable. It is a point in that person's life that he or she says, "Yes, this LVAD has restored my life and stamina to where it was years ago. I do have restrictions however it is a wonderful trade-off to feel this good.

So again from the bottom of our LVADs, the LVAD community wishes Vice President Cheney a happy recovery.

And the good saga continues...

“What can we do to make THORATEC better?” My answer was “ Build ALOT more LVADs. Save more lives”

Every since the LVAD was implanted in me, I have adopted the phrase “And the good saga continues…”. So all along my “good saga”, THORATEC has proven time and again that it is an organization that is sincerely committed to their visionary mission of saving lives. They are manufacturing a product whose “end users” are in different stages of heart failure, in which mine is End-Stage Heart Failure.

In more ways than THORATEC may ever know, their product, the HeartMate II is a gift… a gift of life, and life is the most precious commodity anyone can have.

THORATEC has proven to me that they are always looking to improve an already well-run organization. They go to extreme and tedious lengths to reinforce quality control at all levels in creating the components of the HeartMate II.

The participants of the Summit were treated to a tour of THORATEC’s manufacturing plant where I found employee morale to be comprised of pride and accountability. The participants of the summit were also engaged in a round of discussions to assist THORATEC in their future decisions and directions.




And I can say from the bottom of my LVAD that each summit participant took pride in answering any questions THORATEC posed as we all knew that sharing our experiences, giving our opinions and ideas will better the quality of life of future LVAD patients and their families.

One of the easiest questions asked of me was “What can we do to make THORATEC better?” My answer was “ Build ALOT more LVADs. Save more lives” ;-)

Being a participant at THORATEC's HeartMate II Ambassador Summit has been a phenomenal experience I will never forget.

Thank you THORATEC… from the bottom of my LVAD… each and every employee.

THE LVAD IN AN ILLUSTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE

And The Good Saga Continues...

Palimed.org Adresses The LVAD

I only knew the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) existed just one week prior to my LVAD implant / surgery. 11 days later... I was home with my LVAD in front of my computer looking up the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of the LVAD.

One of my first interesting finds about LVAD usage was from http://www.pallimed.org/

This website is run by a group of passionate Medical Professionals who happen to be practicing physicians within The Hospice/Palliative Care field. The Pallimed's website offers ideas, debate and methodologies of their work within... allowing seriously ill people to live with dignity, control and freedom of choice; all in an effort to offer Quality Of Life... throughout their serious illnesses at the end stages of life.

Having an LVAD and experiencing a healthy existence, again, I can only imagine that the LVAD will prolong many lives that otherwise would have expired just a few years ago.

However, it does not stop there. The same Doctors and Medical professionals that run PalliMed's website and Blog are also spearheading Hospice and Palliative issues via Social Media/Networking. They can be found on Facebook, twitter...

Below are direct links to Pallimed's

articles mentioning the LVAD :

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Destination LVADsNov 12, 2008 ... We see a LOT of LVADs at my hospital. They truly can be a bridge to better things--but often they are a "bridge to nowhere". ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2008/11/destination-lvads.html

Pallimed: Case Conferences: November 2008Nov 13, 2008 ... Most recently, she went to the OR to have her current LVAD replaced with a ... Patients on LVADS or BIVADS are physically restricted... http://www.pallimed.org/2008_11_01_archive.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Heart failure ...Aug 27, 2007 ... LVADs, in the simplest terms, are implantable devices which augment the pumping ... Full-sized LVAD image (& further discussion) at WebMD, ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2007/08/heart-failure-devices.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Rise of the MachinesDec 10, 2009 ... For those of you unfamiliar with LVADs, essentially they are .... Personally, I'd take the LVAD, at least at a younger age (and if you are ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2009/12/rise-of-machines.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Holiday HeartAug 15, 2010 ... At the time, LVADs were used only as a bridge to heart transplant. ... The number of patients receiving a LVAD as a bridge to transplant or ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2010/08/holiday-heart.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Pall-PourriDec 3, 2008 ... Many of the cases submitted this year for the Annual Assembly case conferences were on LVAD's. We ended up selecting one. December 08, 2008 ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2008/12/pall-pourri.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: 09_12Dec 1, 2009 ... For those of you unfamiliar with LVADs, essentially they are implanted pumps which are inserted directed into the heart and major vessels ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2009_12_01_archive.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: 07_08Aug 3, 2007 ... Journal of the American College of Cardiology has a trial looking at left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as destination therapy in ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2007_08_01_archive.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: NYT Sunday ...Jun 20, 2010 ... I come across these situations fairly often working at a large hospital where the heart transplant and LVAD services are quite aggressive. ...

http://www.pallimed.org/2010/06/nyt-sunday-magazine-turning-off.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: 08_12Dec 3, 2008 ... JAMA has a paper looking at some aspects of the 'natural history' of LVADs (see recent post). The paper adds some further detail to the ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2008_12_01_archive.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Quality vs ...Aug 15, 2008 ... LVAD, improved symptoms and survival, lots of care burdens, lingering death). The basis of this seems to be several trials of oral inotropes ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2008/08/quality-vs-quantity-of-life-in-chf.html

Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: 07_01LVAD anyone? The other talk that looks pretty interesting to me is the one on Pain Research, although I hope it does not get to bogged down in discussions ...
http://www.pallimed.org/2007_01_01_archive.html

And the good saga continues...

A Day In The LIFE Of An LVAD Recipient/A Photo Essay

A beautiful Braided horse named Shai

An old peaceful horse loved his muscular Jowls massaged

This guy loved rubbing his face up against mine! It was great!

SUNSET @ CITY ISLAND/NYC

CITY ISLAND SEA GULLS AWAIT FOOD ;-)

BEAUTIFUL STATEMENT ON PLAQUE @ CEMETERY ON THE WATER...

ZOOM IN AND READ ;-)

STARTED DAY WASHING THE TRUCK. BECAUSE OF THE LVAD I HAVE TO STAY AWAY FROM VACUUMS...

LVAD LUNCH AND LEARN

LVAD Lunch & Learn
For LVAD recipients and families to participate in an LVAD Support Group

Date: May 3rd, 2010

Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm

Lunch will be served

Location: Montefiore Medical Center
3415 Bainbridge Ave Bronx, New York
CHAM Conference Room

Guest Speakers:

Nicolette Keen,MS,RD,CDN
Paula Marcus M.D.
Jery Whitworth RN...

Lunch provided by Thoratec Corporation
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I often joke with my LVAD team at Columbia-Presbyterian/NYC that with my LVAD lithium batteries, I can charge a dead battery in a car. I am now convinced after meeting with 20 + LVAD recipients at one gathering, we all probably can jump-start a Jumbo Jet should the occasion arise. :-)


As I end a great day and change my power source from my lithium batteries to my PBU leads ...yes Margaret, I do sleep without batteries :-)... I can not help to think of how honored I feel to be given the podium to speak before 20+ LVAD recipients. It was also an opportunity to meet Simone Van Tull from the transplantcafe.com site, Dick Clark and Mr. Stowe, all who are LVAD recipients and I have gotten to know them (or of them) from online connections or the telephone. This conference also enabled me to exchange contact info with many new LVAD brothers and sisters :-)

Honored... me at the podium, another humbling experience.

I discussed my ideas on how to live a more comfortable life with the LVAD, such as using the 511Tactical Holster Shirt and my encounters with Thoratec; the company that developed the Heartmate 2 LVAD. In turn, I was asked many questions.

It was amazing to see a conference room populated by folks powered by an LVAD. On the agenda, LVAD medical professionals discussed with the LVAD group ways to address situations that an LVAD recipient may encounter, such as stress, depression, meditations and palliative decisions to name a few.


What was particularly interesting to me was the time taken to heed the words from the LVAD recipient’s caretakers and recognizing their tasks and responsibilities in assisting the LVAD recipient in their daily lives. With that said, I THANK my wife.

And the good saga continues...

Dr Naka Succeeded Dr Oz

When Dr Oz headed for TV land,
Dr Naka took over the reigns.
Dr Naka is the surgeon who
performed my LVAD implant at
New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Is Dr Naka the next TV doctor?



Yoshifumi Naka, MD, PhD

Positions and Appointments
2001-present Associate Professor of Surgery
Columbia University College of
Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY
2003-present Director, Cardiac Transplantation Program
Columbia University Medical Center,
New York, NY
2001-present Director, Mechanical Circulatory Support Program
Columbia University Medical Center,
New York, NY
1999-present Attending Surgeon
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
Clinical SpecialtiesGeneral adult cardiac surgery
Adult cardiac surgery for coronary artery disease
Valvular heart disease
Heart/lung transplantation
Mechanical circulatory support device implantation
Research InterestsCardiac and pulmonary transplantation
Organ preservation
Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation
Mechanical circulatory support devices
Vein graft disease after bypass surgery

Education and Training
1996-1998 Visiting Clinical Fellowship, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
1993-1996 Research Fellowship,
Cardiac and Pulmonary Transplantation
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
1993 Fellowship, Cardiovascular Surgery
Osaka Police Hospital, Japan
1991 Residency
Osaka Police Hospital, Japan
1989 Research and Clinical Fellowship
Osaka University Medical School, Japan
1988 PhD
Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
1984 MD
Osaka University Medical School, Japan

Professional Experience1998-1999 Junior Attending Surgeon
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
Professional HonorsCournand and Comroe Young Investigator Award, American Heart Association, 1995

Young Investigators Award, Japanese Association of Thoracic Surgery, 1988
Professional Societies and CommitteesMEMBERSHIPS
American Association for Thoracic Surgery
American Heart Association,
Councils of Circulation and Cardiothoracic Surgery
American Society for Artificial Internal Organs
American Society of Transplant Surgeons
International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
Japanese Circulation Society
Japan Surgical Society
New York Society of Thoracic Surgery
Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Society of University Surgeons

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Co-Chair, Satellite Symposium 3 “Current trends in mechanical assistance: Role of destination therapy” at the annual meeting of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, San Francisco, USA, 2004

Co-Chair, "Featured Research Session" at the annual meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society, Sapporo, Japan, 2002

Co-Chair, "More VADs go bad," at the annual meeting of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Vancouver, 2001

Chair, "A issue in device immunology", at the annual meeting of the World Artificial-Organ, Immunology, and Transplantation, Ottawa, 2001

Chair, "Device patient interaction" at the International Heart and Lung Transplantation 3rd Fall Education Meeting, Mechanical Circulatory Support and Replacement II, Anaheim, 2001

Guest Editor, Ann Thoracic Surg 71 (suppl); Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Circulatory Support Devices For Severe Cardiac Failure. New York, NY, 9/15-17/00

For more information on Dr Naka please visit:
http://asp.cumc.columbia.edu/facdb/profile_list.asp?uni=yn33&DepAffil=Surgery

And the good saga continues...

LVAD AWARENESS for Paramedics/EMT/EMS Ambulance Companies. 911 PROTOCOL?

Currently i am visiting online emergency services forums. Most are unaware of how to treat an LVAD patient. They do not know that LVAD recipients do not have a pulse or a "readable" blood pressure. However, they are all eager to learn.

The Heartmate ll made by THORATEC is the first CONTINUOUS FLOW DEVICE. It has only one moving part making it more reliable. Since it is a continuous flow design, the blood is in constant flow as opposed to the native heart beating that creates the pulse. The Heartmate ll is approved by the FDA for use in the USA for Bridge To Transplant (BTT) and Destination Therapy (DT) patients.

THE SCENARIO:

A 911 call is made from a cell phone at a mall. A male patient collapses and seems too sluggish to move. An ambulance is immediately dispatched to the location. The paramedics arrive and find the patient sitting on the floor with his wife by his side. The male patient is conscious and answers the questions the paramedics ask.

He states he became dizzy and passed out. The patient continues to say that he has a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implanted and grafted to his heart. The LVAD helps pump oxygen-enriched blood that his damaged heart can not do. The male patient also claims that due to the design of the LVAD, basic equipment WILL NOT detect his Blood Pressure nor Pulse.

Only special Doppler equipment will detect his vitals.

It appears that the patient has lost color and is sweating. What next? There is a titanium heart/blood pump implanted to his heart. If needed, are chest compressions dangerous for this patient? The answer is YES! It can cause the LVAD to dislodge from the heart and the patient can internally bleed.

I am a 47 yo male with an LVAD implant. I DON'T HAVE the conventionally found Blood Pressure and I do not have a Pulse, However I am alive and well and I am trying to raise awareness of 911/EMT/LVAD PROTOCOL and to obtain more info from the experts on how to spread this crucial topic. It is predicted that the LVAD will be as common as dialysis.

So it is imperative that our 1st responders should be "user-friendly" with LVAD recipients especially when most LVAD recipients are leading mobile and normal lives.

Thank you

and the good saga continues...

The FUTURE PROVIDES THE WIRELESS LVAD/Reducing Infection and Mortality.

2 Informative PDF files explaining the WIRELESS LVAD:

PDF 1:

A Frequency Control Method for Regulating Wireless Power to Implantable Devices

http://www.tetcor.com/A%20freq%20control%20method%20for%20regulaing%20wireless%20power%20to%20implantable%20devices%20(ping%20si).pdf

PDF 2:
Wireless Power Supply for Implantable Biomedical
Device Based on Primary Input Voltage Regulation

http://www.tetcor.com/Ping%20wp%20paper.pdf

LINK:
Brief but interesting info on TRANSCUTANEOUS as opposed to percutaneous lines: Wireless Technology Sparks New Approach to Powering Implantable Devices

http://www.devicelink.com/mpmn/archive/07/03/009.html


SOME BACKGROUND HISTORY ON THE WIRELESS LVAD ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN Transitions" 2002, a Penn State College of Medicine publication and the DESIGN NEWS:

Rosenberg Named 2002 Engineer of the Year

Rosenberg has worked on heart-assist pumps since 1970 when he joined the Penn State research team as a graduate student. He earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from Penn State. U.S. clinical trials began for the Rosenberg team’s implanted Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), manufactured by commercial partner Arrow International, Inc., when in February 2001, Penn State’s Walter E. Pae, Jr., successfully implanted the left ventricular assist system for the first in the United States. Called the Arrow LionHeart™, it is the first LVAD powered by wireless electric transmission.

LionHeart TM is intended to help a large population that is ineligible for transplant and for whom medical therapy has failed. Surgeons in Europe have been implanting the device in clinical trials since 1999. Rosenberg said that LVADs represent less risk to patients, both in surgery and later on. "With an LVAD, if there is a component failure, a patient can still rely temporarily on their own heart until the problem is solved," he said, “and because no wires or tubes protrude through the recipient’s skin, the system reduces the chances for serious infection. LionHeart™ is intended to help this much larger population that is ineligible for transplant and for whom medical therapy has failed.” Rosenberg’s team also has an electro-mechanical total artificial heart that is very close in concept to its LVAD.

Rosenberg has found another commercial partner, Abiomed, Danvers, Massachusetts for this device. Abiomed developed AbioCor, a total artificial heart driven by an electro-hydraulic system that Time magazine called the “2001 invention of the year." Abiomed plans to do clinical trials in 2004 of a smaller version of the Penn State heart, suitable for women and children.

Abiomed CEO David Lederman said of Rosenberg, "Gus is one of the primary contributors to this field, and I have tremendous respect for him. We were competitors,but we also have shared a lot of information over the years"

Here is a more recent photo Dr. Rosenberg. He can still be reached at Penn State University.

And the good saga continues...