UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL SATURDAY, MARCH 21 2015, 7:00
MEDIA RELEASE
Chennai, Mar 20 – As part of a joint Indian-Australian research project, scientists will test a new heart-assistance device on two Indian patients who suffer from decreased cardiac function, in India this Friday March 20.
The project is exploring the use of a new cardiac device being developed by a team of Indian and Australian scientists led by the UNSW’s Associate Professor Craig McLachlan. If successful the device will help reduce the pressure being placed on the hearts of patients that suffer from heart failure.
With funding from the Australian government’s Australian-Indian Council, the first test will be carried out in Chennai by one of India’s top heart surgeons, Dr K M Cherian.
Dr Cherian performed the first cardiac bypass surgery in India in 1975 and was one of the first surgeons to carry out a cardiac transplant in India for both adults and children.
Frontier Lifeline Hospital CEO Dr Cherian and his team will perform surgery for existing heart conditions on two sponsored Indian patients, who otherwise would not have been able to afford the operation.
At the same time the Indian surgeons and the inventor of the device, Australian scientist Dr Peter Walsh, will test the feasibility of the heart device for a short period, collecting crucial data on its functionality, before it is removed.
Dr Walsh explains that the cardiac assist device is designed to attach to the aorta’s external surface, reducing the pressure placed on heart and increasing coronary artery blood flow.
“The device’s self-powered counter-pulsation mode of action helps the heart pump blood by reducing the workload on the left ventricle,” Dr Walsh said.
“If the device is implanted earlier in the heart failure life cycle, the aim is to enhance the patient’s overall well-being and reduce the risk of progressing to end stage heart failure.”
The device that is being tested is revolutionary in the treatment of heart failure, said Dr McLachlan, research director of the Rural Clinical School (RCS) at UNSW.
“This project is very exciting on many levels,” he said.
“Not only is this a ground-breaking first-in-man study that may vastly improve the availability of cost-effective solutions to early stage heart failure, but it’s also a great example of Australia’s close collaboration with India across the fields of science and healthcare.
“The project showcases a unique collaborative model for future scientific studies between India and Australia – two nations that often lead the way in research and innovation.
“Gaining support to test devices at a feasibility stage of development is important and a defined gap in clinical development pathways. So this Indian collaboration is key to progressing the development of this device both from an academic research and commercial perspective,” Dr McLachlan said.
The RCS brings world-class medical education to the rural Australia, training the next generation of rural and Indigenous doctors, and leads the way in rural healthcare and medical research.
UNSW Medicine has one of the world’s best medicine programs, with a ranking of 29 in the prestigious 2014 QS Work University Rankings.
Media Contact: Joel Katz, Media Officer, UNSW Rural Clinical School
Contact Details: joel.katz@hotmail.com joel.katz@unsw.edu.au