"I wouldn't be alive today without it."
JIM KAPSNER, MINNESOTA
Three years after HeartMate
Destination Therapy |
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Patient Profile |
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Destination Therapy provides new hope for those patients suffering from
end-stage heart failure who are not eligible for heart transplantation because
of their age or other medical conditions. These patients have gone through
other treatment regimens and have not experienced relief from this progressive
disease.
In many cases, the slightest level of activity exhausts them, and they are
often bedridden or endure long stays in the hospital. It is estimated that
100,000 people fall into this category in the U.S. each year, a number that
is likely to grow as new devices and treatment procedures result in higher
survival rates during earlier stages of heart failure.
Thoratec is the only company to receive FDA approval for Destination Therapy,
based on data from the landmark REMATCH trial, a seven-year study that compared
patients supported by the HeartMate with those being treated with drug therapy.
The study data demonstrated improved survival rates and quality of life
for patients supported by the device. In fact, the most recent data indicates
a two-year survival rate of nearly 43 percent for patients implanted with
a device in the latter stages of the trial. This compares with six percent
for those in the control group.
Many Destination Therapy patients who have been implanted with our device
have resumed aspects of a normal lifestyle—including recreational activities
such as fishing and golf—and in some cases have returned to work.
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