Pilot Study with Ventricular Assist Device Begins with First Patient at William Beaumont

Abiomed Inc. recently announced the start of the IMPELLA 2.5 pilot study in the U.S. with the enrollment of the first patient at William Beaumont Hospital in Detroit, MI. The IMPELLA 2.5 is the world’s smallest ventricular assist device (VAD) and is currently available in Europe under the CE Mark.
The treatment involved utilizing the IMPELLA 2.5 minimally invasive ventricular assist device during high-risk angioplasty and provided strong hemodynamic support with over two liters of flow for the patient throughout the procedure. It is estimated that five to 10 percent of the one million U.S. angioplasty cases are considered high risk. In this case, the patient had previously received a bypass, a defibrillator, had poor heart function and needed angioplasty to open a complex lesion in the vessel supplying blood to the heart itself. The device was implanted through the groin and resulted in a favorable procedural outcome for the patient, who was discharged from the hospital approximately 48 hours after the procedure.