After 8 Months on Heart Assist Device, PA Man Added to Transplant List

A Pennsylvania man who eight months ago became the first U.S. recipient of the Arrow LionHeart, a totally implantable left ventricular assist device, has done well enough to be added to the heart transplant waiting list.

Gayle Snider, 36, has had few complications, has gained weight, and has been smoke-free since receiving the device May 14. He was discharged from the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center a month later, and has since been recovering at home.

“I’m very excited about being added to the transplant list. I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to get a transplant without the LionHeart, because I probably wouldn’t be here," Snider said.

The LionHeart, the first totally implantable left ventricular assist device capable of taking over the entire workload of the left ventricle, is intended as a long-term therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure who are not candidates for heart transplantation.

But some patients like Snider, whose health improves markedly, may become eligible for transplant, doctors said.

"The device has provided superb support for Gayle and allowed him to gain strength,” said Dr. John P. Boehmer, associate professor of medicine at the Penn State Cardiovascular Center. “Gayle also has taken important steps to improve his health, such as quitting smoking, in order to be fit for the transplant list.”

Other Sources: Penn State