Our VAD Program’s Recent Innovations

Our commitment is to innovation and this is reflected by the following examples:

• We recently performed the first VAD to heart and liver transplant in a patient who had Fontan Circulatory failure. The patient received a HeartMate 3 device and was discharged home to wait for suitable organs for him. He received his heart and liver transplant in June 2020 and has been discharged home.
• We were the first in the United States to implant a VAD in a patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Now we have implanted VADs in five DMD patients and discharged them to home. Muscular Dystrophy patients have been supported for over three years at our institution.
• We implanted and supported a child with a Berlin Heart through a full course of chemotherapy to transplant and discharge home.
• We transported a teenage boy on ECMO and transferred him to the Total Artificial Heart. He was successful transplanted after three months of support. We have no implanted seven total artificial hearts.
• We have implanted durable VADs in 11 Fontan patients, and we were the first worldwide to implant a Fontan patient using the HeartMate 3 device.
• Our program includes Lung Assist Devices that support patients until lung transplant.
• We use high fidelity simulation training to enhance education. We use simulation to keep our clinicians and families proficient.
• We have also used simulation to train multiple VAD programs from around the world.
• The ACTION learning network (Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network – www.actionlearningnetwork.org) is operationalized out of Cincinnati Children’s.