The EVAHEART2 is leading-edge technology for use in patients with advanced heart failure and is designed to lower the risk of stroke or gastrointestinal bleeding for patients who undergo left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgery. Researchers believe that EVAHEART2 may be the future for patients who require LVAD surgery.

“The Christ Hospital Health Network is the first in the Midwest to implant the EVAHEART2 device which provides pulsatile blood flow similar to a beating heart,” said Dean Kereiakes, MD, FACC, MSCAI, President of The Heart & Vascular Institute. “This is a very important trial that will hopefully show improved quality of life and fewer complications than seen with currently available heart pumps or LVADs.”

Heart failure impacts more than 6 million people in the United States alone with numbers projected to be much higher within a decade. New, innovative LVAD pumps will advance the field of heart failure treatment and extend the lives of thousands of patients. The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute has been designated an LVAD Center of Excellence and is one of the largest volume LVAD centers in the country without cardiac transplantation on site. The Christ Hospital has a multidisciplinary LVAD team including cardiologists, critical care specialists and cardiac surgeons who provide LVAD therapy to patients with advanced stages of heart failure.

“We are the most experienced LVAD center in the region and EVAHEART keeps us in the forefront of innovative procedures,” Geoff Answini, MD, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at The Christ Hospital Health Network. “We strive to offer our patients the best and most innovative technologies for their heart disease. Taking part in clinical trials like the EVAHEART2 ensures that patients at The Christ Hospital Health Network have access to leading-edge care.”

LVADs are an effective and well-established treatment for patients who have progressed to advanced heart failure. Support for clinical research in new LVADs and artificial hearts comes from the Carl & Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education, The Harold C. Shott Foundation Mechanical Cardiac Support Program as well as the Frank and Margo Homan Endowed Chair for Heart Failure currently held by Gregory Egnaczyk, MD, Medical Director of the Advanced Heart Failure and LVAD program at The Christ Hospital Health Network.

“Becoming the first healthcare network to bring this procedure to the state of Ohio required a collaborative effort from our experienced multi-disciplinary team that includes Eugene Chung, MD, Thomas O’Brien, MD, Timothy Raymond, DO, and Ankit Bhatia, MD, in heart failure, Robert Dowling, MD, and J. Michael Smith, MD, in cardiac surgery and our tremendous team of dedicated nurse practitioners, nurses and cardiovascular technicians,” said Gregory Egnaczyk, MD. “This shows, once again, that we have everything it takes to care for heart patients in our community.”

For more information about EVAHEART2 click here.

About The Christ Hospital Health Network

The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn with a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of offices conveniently located throughout the region. More than 1,300 talented physicians and more than 6,000 dedicated team members support the Network. Its mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes and the finest experiences, all in an affordable way. The Network has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region and awarded Healthgrades “America’s 50 Best Hospitals” for being in the top 1% in the nation for providing the highest clinical quality year over year. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above of performance in patient experience. The Christ Hospital is among a select number of hospitals in the nation to be awarded Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves.