title: Initial clinical experience with the Symphony heart assist system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Current cardiac assist devices provide full support, require a major operation, and function asynchronously to the native heart. In contrast, we developed a novel circulatory support device that provides synchronous partial support and can be placed with a minor operation. We report the first clinical implantation with the Symphony device (Abiomed, Danvers, MA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with advanced heart failure despite optimal therapy who had exhausted all options were evaluated. A 64-year-old man with ischemic cardiomyopathy underwent implantation of the Symphony device in the right infraclavicular fossa.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After initiating device support, the cardiac index increased from 1.7 to 2.5 L/min/m(2), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased from 26 to 13 mm Hg, right atrial pressure decreased from 12 to 7 mm Hg, creatinine level decreased from 2.3 to 1.5 mg/dL, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class improved from IIIB to II.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Placement of the Symphony device resulted in improvements in hemodynamics and functional status. Further clinical data will help define the role for this approach of partial synchronous support through a less invasive operation in patients with advanced heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: renzo.cecere@muhc.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cecere
authors.affiliation: DCI, Inc, Louisville, KY.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giannetti
mesh_terms: D006333:Heart Failure / Q000601:surgery*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000601:surgery*; D011474:Prosthesis Design