Efficacy of the Acorn Cardiac Support Device in animals with heart failure secondary to high rate pacing.

Aim: To utilise an ovine model of tachycardia induced progressive dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure to investigate the efficacy of passive ventricular constraint with the Acorn cardiac support device as a heart failure treatment.

Methods: (a) Moderate heart failure was produced in 16 sheep by pacing for 3 weeks. Half were implanted and half sham implanted with the CSD.

Percutaneous mitral annular reduction provides continued benefit in an ovine model of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Functional mitral valve regurgitation plays a key role in the symptomatic severity and progression of heart failure. In an ovine model of dilated cardiomyopathy, we examined the chronic functional consequences of mitral regurgitation reduction using a recently developed novel percutaneous mitral annular reduction (PMAR) device.

Methods And Results: Fourteen adult sheep were paced right ventricularly at 180 to 190 bpm for 5 weeks, leading to the development of moderate mitral valve regurgitation.

Feasibility and short-term efficacy of percutaneous mitral annular reduction for the therapy of heart failure-induced mitral regurgitation.

Background: Mitral regurgitation (MR) frequently accompanies congestive heart failure (CHF) and is associated with poorer prognosis and more significantly impaired symptomatic status. Although surgical mitral valve annuloplasty has the potential to offer benefit, concerns about the combined surgical risk and possible effects on ventricular performance have limited progress. We evaluated the feasibility and short-term efficacy of a novel device placed in the coronary sinus to reduce MR in the setting of CHF.

Ventricular constraint in severe heart failure halts decline in cardiovascular function associated with experimental dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: We have shown that passive ventricular constraint during moderate heart failure can halt progressive deterioration in cardiac function in an experimental model of ovine pacing induced heart failure (HF). We report on ventricular constraint in severe heart failure.

Methods: Eighteen adult merino sheep were used.

Passive ventricular constraint.

Heart failure (HF) is a progressive degenerative and malignant syndrome with a large number of aetiologies including coronary artery disease, chronic hypertension, exposure to toxins, bacteria and viruses and in a significant percentage of HF patients, the causal mechanism is unclear. The HF trail of morbidity and mortality is well documented and is characterised by step-like periods of relative symptomatic stability, compensation, separated by decompensatory episodes. The homeostatic response to the decline in cardiac function is diverse and involves most organs.