Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Achieves Medical Milestone, Implanting Life-Saving Heart Devices in Pediatric Patients

– In a significant medical advancement for the state, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health has successfully implanted two different types of life-saving ventricular assist devices in pediatric patients, bridging an important gap for those awaiting heart transplants and broadening treatment possibilities for children in Oklahoma with heart failure.

This achievement marks the first time these two devices have been used to treat children in Oklahoma.

The devices, a HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) and a Berlin Heart, are separately designed to help the heart and blood vessels work better for a short period of timein patients with end-stage heart failure. Both devices enable patients to be at home while awaiting a heart transplant. Since donor hearts for children are in short supply, many pediatric patients need a bridge to the transplant. These technologies are designed to help take over the pumping of a sick heart until a donor heart becomes available.

Both procedures follow the announcement of a comprehensive pediatric heart transplant program at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. The first pediatric patients at the hospital have been added to the organ transplant list with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

"We are pleased to offer advanced therapy for children in our state with heart disease that has progressed beyond medical management," said pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Harold Burkhart, M.D., professor of surgery and Chief of the Division of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.

How LVAD Technology Saves Lives

The Abbott HeartMate 3TM LVAD, a surgically implanted mechanical pump, is designed to help a weakened heart pump blood throughout the body. The HeartMate 3 LVAD was implanted in a 10-year-old child diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart muscle becomes weakened and enlarged. This decision was made after the care team at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital determined the young patient’s heart function had deteriorated to the point where she required the device to support her circulation.

"The patient’s heart was too weak to pump effectively on its own," said pediatric cardiologist Dr. Erik Edens, M.D., Ph.D., Oklahoma Children’s Hospital heart transplant program medical director. "The LVAD is allowing her heart to rest while also providing the life-sustaining circulatory support she needs."

An LVAD is an implanted mechanical pump attached to the heart’s left ventricle (main pumping chamber) to help it function properly. The pump is connected to an external battery pack as a power source and a controller. Since the device is portable, patients can return home while awaiting further treatment options.

The LVAD is a life-saving therapy for patients awaiting a heart transplant. The device is also used for patients who are not candidates for heart transplants. In such cases, patients can receive prolonged and improved quality of life through long-term use of the LVAD.

According to federal data, more than 3,500 Americans are currently waiting for a heart transplant, with pediatric patients often facing the longest wait times. The Abbott HeartMate 3TM LVADs are approved for pediatric use to help improve the quality of life for young patients with advanced heart failure.

Another Groundbreaking Procedure: The Berlin Heart

Similar to the LVAD, the Berlin Heart is a mechanical ventricular assist device that’s surgically implanted to assume the pumping function of the heart's ventricle. Its primary function is to serve as a bridge to transplantation providing patients with vital support until a suitable donor heart is procured while allowing for potential organ recovery.

The Berlin Heart device was implanted in a 3-year-old girl born with a severe form of cardiomyopathy, which stiffened her heart muscle and prevented her from pumping blood effectively. After being stabilized on life support, the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital care team decided a durable ventricular assist device was needed to save her life.

"Her heart disease was so advanced that mechanical heart support became her only option to survive," said Dr. Edens.

However, securing the Berlin Heart device was challenging. The manufacturer had stopped making some pump components of the device due to limited demand. Dr. Edens and Dr. Burkhart devised an interim solution utilizing only the inflow and outflow cannulas of the Berlin Heart and temporarily powered them with alternative pump technology until the real Berlin device became available at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital.

"By being resourceful, we were able to get her stabilized on mechanical support relatively quickly instead of potentially waiting months for the real Berlin Heart driver to ship," Dr. Edens said, adding that the Berlin Heart was successfully implanted on May 7. The FDA has approved the Berlin Heart and other ventricular assist devices for pediatric use, aiming to improve the quality of life for children with advanced heart failure.

Making History in Children’s Heart Health

Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Heart Center is a premier pediatric cardiac care program. In February 2024, the hospital added its first patient to a national waiting list for a donor heart. This marked the first time a pediatric heart transplant patient at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital was added to the organ transplant list with UNOS since the 1990s. Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Heart Center will be the only pediatric heart transplant center in the state and is a destination program for children needing advanced cardiac care. Dr. Edens was recruited in September 2021 to lead the program as the Heart Transplant Program Medical Director.

"With these technologies available, our team can focus on managing our pediatric patients’ other care needs and ensuring they’re stable as they await heart transplants," said Dr. Burkhart.