Damaged heart muscle after a heart attack can lead to structural remodeling and decline in ventricular performance. The resulting enlargement of the heart may induce shortness of breath and fatigue, impinging on patients’ ability to function and maintain quality of life. In such cases, making the heart smaller with an alternative implantable device may improve symptoms and other outcomes. The novel Parachute™ Ventricular Partitioning Device, by CardioKinetix, is the first minimally invasive treatment for such populations.

The Parachute device partitions damaged heart muscle from normal muscle, allowing restoration of cardiac output and functioning of the left ventricle in patients with ischemic HF secondary to myocardial infarction. Implantation is accomplished through catheter-based insertion through the femoral artery – an approach termed percutaneous ventricle restoration. Recent data on the first patients to receive the Parachute showed, three years after implant, recipients experienced improved cardiac output and symptoms. Cardiac death rate at two and three years post-implant remained stable, suggesting a lack of disease progression. Quality of life also improved.

“The Parachute presents an exciting new treatment option for patients suffering from ischemic heart failure,” says Marco A. Costa, MD, PhD, Director, Interventional Cardiovascular Center and Research & Innovation Center, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute; Professor of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; and Co-Principal Investigator in the Parachute IV trial. “It offers patients a treatment option that does not involve the risks associated with surgical alternatives and in a short period of time.”

These findings suggest the safety and efficacy of the Parachute device, and further randomized controlled trials are being planned to assess outcomes in larger populations.