What type of patient could benefit from the AbioCor?
The AbioCor is intended for use with patients whose hearts have irreparably damaged left and/or right ventricles, and for whom existing methods of surgical intervention and/or drug therapy are inadequate. The AbioCor can be used with patients who suffer from congestive heart failure or coronary heart disease. Congestive heart failure, prevalent in older patients, is a result of the progressive deterioration of the heart over a number of years. Coronary artery disease is prevalent at all ages and can lead to heart attacks and chronic ischemic conditions. Today, those end-stage heart failure patients in theh U.S. who are not fortunate to receive one of the limited 2,000 donor hearts have no alternative but to face death. The AbioCor could give these patients with irreversibly failing hearts an opportunity to both extend and improve the quality of their lives and return to a productive lifestyle. A similar need exists throughout the world.
