Fort Worth, TX – Medical City Fort Worth has enrolled and performed surgery on its first patient in a national clinical study evaluating a device to treat symptomatic heart failure.
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. The condition affects about 6.2 million adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a therapy that potentially improves heart contraction through a small implant powered by a technology called cardiac contractility modulation. The therapy's ultimate goal is to enhance the quality of life for patients who no longer respond adequately to medication meant to manage their symptoms.
"Medical City Fort Worth is proud to bring leading-edge therapies and research studies to patients in North Texas," said Ben Coogan, CEO of Medical City Fort Worth. “We are committed to delivering high-quality care which includes access to the latest medical advancements to enhance the health and well-being of our patients."
The trial, which will enroll approximately 1,500 subject volunteers nationwide, is a multicenter, randomized, quadruple-blinded, sham-controlled study for symptomatic heart failure patients who have a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Ejection fraction refers to the heart's ability to pump oxygen-rich blood out of the body.
"This trial is among the most extensive therapeutic cardiac device studies of its kind," says Senthil Thambidorai, MD, an electrophysiologist and primary investigator for the trial at Medical City Fort Worth. "A sizable population of heart failure patients could potentially benefit from these types of therapies and this research is a crucial advancement in addressing this significant unmet medical need."
Patients interested in learning if they are eligible to participate in the study can call Medical City Fort Worth Clinical Research Services at (817) 347-6058.