Heartech® left ventricular partitioning device improves left ventricular systolic function of patients with chronic heart failure post-myocardial infarction at 1-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVES:This study presents 1-year follow-up data of echocardiographic outcomes in patients who received the Heartech® left ventricular (LV) partitioning device (LVPD) (Xinrui Medical Equipment Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China). BACKGROUND:Our first-in-man study of the Heartech® LVPD confirmed its safety and efficacy in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) post-myocardial infarction (MI) 1 month post-implantation. This subsequent study reports the echocardiographic outcomes of these patients at 1 year of follow-up. METHODS:Fifteen patients with HF post-MI from three cardiac intervention centers in China were successfully implanted with the Heartech® LVPD via percutaneous ventricular restoration procedures. Echocardiographic parameters-including LV systolic function, diastolic function, two-dimensional speckle-tracking analysis, and right ventricular systolic function-were obtained before device implantation and at 1 month and 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS:There was no deterioration of LV diastolic function, specific strain parameters, or right ventricular function at 1 year. Relative to the echocardiographic parameters recorded before the procedure, the LV ejection fraction (32.47 ± 6.98% vs. 42.5 ± 7.41%; p = .001) was significantly improved at 1 year, while the LV end-diastolic volume index (106.29 ± 28.01 vs. 83.30 ± 31.71; p = .005) and end-systolic volume index were significantly reduced (72.47 ± 22.77 vs. 50.00 ± 19.70; p = .001). CONCLUSIONS:One-year echocardiographic follow-up results confirmed that no deterioration of LV diastolic function or specific strain parameters was observed and LV systolic function was significantly improved in patients with HF post-MI who were implanted with the Heartech® LVPD.