Large Clinical Study Presented at STS 2021 Finds 79% Survival Rate with Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist
29.1.2021 17:03:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Abiomed (NASDAQ: ABMD) announces a large study of 356 patients treated with Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist at 16 U.S. and German centers found a 79% survival rate at explant. A majority of surviving patients recovered their native heart function without needing further mechanical support or a heart transplant.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210129005016/en/
Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist pulls blood from the left ventricle through an inlet area near the tip of the pump and expels blood through the catheter into the ascending aorta. (Graphic: Business Wire)
The study is the first large, multicenter experience examining survival rates with Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist support. It was presented at The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) 2021 Annual Meeting by lead author Edward Soltesz, MD, MPH, a cardiovascular and heart transplant surgeon at Cleveland Clinic’s Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute. The data was obtained from the Impella Quality (IQ) database and examined centers with ten or more patients treated with Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist.
The authors conclude Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist demonstrates successful clinical and device outcomes, including:
- 79% overall patient survival rate (n=301)
- 86% survival for cardiomyopathy cardiogenic shock patients (n=141)
- 67% survival for AMI cardiogenic shock patients (n=88)
- 68% survival for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock patients (n=34)
“We were able to achieve a 79% overall survival rate by taking a novel approach in supporting these critically ill patients,” said Dr. Soltesz. “I am looking forward to seeing more prospective studies around this minimally invasive, high-flow temporary device.”
“This report demonstrates the benefit of the significant unloading with Impella 5.5 use in cardiogenic shock patients. We are impressed with the improved survival rates seen with Impella 5.5 use compared to traditional therapies,” said Scott Silvestry, MD, co-author of the study and surgical director of thoracic transplant, thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at AdventHealth in Orlando. “The use of best practices, techniques and this innovative new technology allows us to provide a better outlook to our patients.”
The STS study presentation provides additional evidence of improved outcomes with use of Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist. A study published in July in the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) Journal found 84% survival to explant for Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist patients in cardiogenic shock and other challenging cardiac conditions. 76% of those patients achieved native heart recovery. The study examined the outcomes of the first 55 patients treated with Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist at Cleveland Clinic, Hackensack University Medical Center/Hackensack Meridian Health and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
In 2019, Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) highest level of approval for safety and efficacy in the therapy of cardiogenic shock for up to 14 days. Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist delivers peak flows of greater than 6 liters per minute. Benefits of the Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist include:
- Impella Connect, providing cloud-based remote monitoring
- Ease of insertion, via the axillary artery or ascending aorta
- Designed for long-duration support, with patient ambulation, ceramic bearings and no pigtail
- Forward flow with maximum unloading, to provide end organ and coronary perfusion and allow the heart to rest
- Enables heart recovery, as a minimally invasive, weanable VAD
- Ease of patient management, can be intelligently positioned, weaned and managed with SmartAssist
In August, 2020, the FDA granted all left-sided Impella heart pumps, including Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist, an emergency use authorization (EUA) to treat certain patients with COVID-19-related complications who are undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment in the United States.
Attendees of STS 2021 are invited to attend two symposia related to Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist:
- Role of Surgeon: Managing the Shock Patient and Escalation, presented by Zain Khalpey, MD, PhD, from Northwest Medical Center in Tucson. This symposium will take place on Friday, January 29, from 3:30 – 4:00pm EST.
- Post Cardiotomy Cardiogenic Shock (PCCS): Is it Time for a New Strategy?, moderated by Scott Silvestry, MD, from AdventHealth Orlando and featuring a panel discussion with Zain Khalpey, MD, PhD, from Northwest Medical Center in Tucson, Masahiro Ono, MD, PhD, from Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Danny Ramzy, MD, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and Deane Smith, MD, from NYU Langone Health in New York City. This symposium will take place on Sunday, January 31, from 7:30 – 8:30am EST.
ABOUT IMPELLA HEART PUMPS
The Impella 2.5, Impella CP, Impella CP with SmartAssist®, Impella 5.0®, Impella LD®, and Impella 5.5® with SmartAssist® are U.S. FDA approved to treat heart attack or cardiomyopathy patients in cardiogenic shock, and have the unique ability to enable native heart recovery, allowing patients to return home with their own heart.
Impella Left Ventricular (LV) Support Systems are also authorized for emergency use by HCPs in the hospital setting for providing temporary (≤ 4 days for Impella 2.5, Impella CP, and Impella CP with SmartAssist; and ≤ 14 days for Impella 5.0 and Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist) LV unloading and support to treat critical care patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection who are undergoing ECMO treatment and who develop pulmonary edema while on V-A ECMO support or late cardiac decompensation from myocarditis while on V-V ECMO support. The authorized Impella LV Support Systems have neither been cleared or approved for the authorized indication for use. The Impella RP and Impella LV Support Systems have been authorized for the above emergency use by FDA under an EUA and have been authorized only for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of medical devices under section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
ABOUT ABIOMED
Based in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA, Abiomed, Inc. is a leading provider of medical devices that provide circulatory support and oxygenation. Our products are designed to enable the heart to rest by improving blood flow and/or provide sufficient oxygenation to those in respiratory failure. For additional information, please visit: www.abiomed.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Abiomed's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210129005016/en/
Contact information
Media Contact:
Sarah Karr
Communications Manager
978-882-8211
skarr@abiomed.com
Investor Contact:
Todd Trapp
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(978) 646-1680
ttrapp@abiomed.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Visa Opens the Door to AI-Driven Shopping for Businesses Worldwide8.4.2026 19:00:00 EEST | Press release
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) today unveiled Intelligent Commerce Connect, a new solution that makes it easier for businesses to connect to and participate in AI-powered commerce. Intelligent Commerce Connect acts as a network, protocol, and token vault-agnostic ‘on ramp’ to agentic commerce for agent builders, merchants, and enablers. As consumers increasingly rely on AI agents to make purchases, businesses – whether they are building agents, selling to them, or processing transactions – need a simple way to get started. Intelligent Commerce Connect, part of the Visa Intelligent Commerce portfolio, meets that need. Through a single integration via the Visa Acceptance Platform, Intelligent Commerce Connect enables secure payment initiation, tokenization, spend controls, and authentication. The solution integrates both Visa Intelligent Commerce APIs, which are used to process agent purchases using Visa cards, and other networks’ APIs, allowing agents to pay with both Visa and non-Visa cards*. Thi
Andersen Consulting Strengthens Digital Transformation Capabilities Through Kyanon Consulting Collaboration8.4.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Andersen Consulting enhances its platform through a Collaboration Agreement with Kyanon Consulting, a Vietnam-based technology consulting firm known for delivering large-scale digital transformation solutions. Founded in 2025, as an arm of Kyanon Digital, Kyanon Consulting provides end-to-end digital and technology services to retail, banking and finance, and manufacturing organizations seeking to modernize operations, improve customer engagement, and accelerate growth. The firm delivers solutions across digital strategy, enterprise and product development, system integration, workflow automation, advanced analytics, and AI-driven insights for customer experience. “At Kyanon Consulting, our mission is to create digital impact that truly matters,” said Tai Huynh, founder of Kyanon Consulting. “We equip clients with the tools, insights, and innovation needed to strengthen resilience and unlock new opportunities. Collaborating with Andersen Consulting allows us to bring our capabilities t
Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC Aviation Capital, Apollo and Brookfield Complete the Acquisition of Air Lease Corporation8.4.2026 16:13:00 EEST | Press release
Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC Aviation Capital, Apollo-managed funds (“Apollo”) and Brookfield today announced that they have completed the previously announced acquisition of Air Lease Corporation (“Air Lease”) and have renamed the business Sumisho Air Lease Corporation (“Sumisho Air Lease”). This transformational transaction improves the financial position of the business with long term support and aviation expertise from co-investors Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC Aviation Capital, Apollo and Brookfield. Sumisho Air Lease’s strong foundation as an established aircraft lessor, supported by SMBC Aviation Capital’s industry‑leading capabilities as servicer, creates a platform with the scale and financial strength needed to meet the fast‑changing and increasingly complex requirements of airline customers. Sumisho Air Lease will also benefit from the deep expertise and long-standing commitment that both Sumitomo Corporation and SMBC Aviation Capital bring to the global aviation leasing sector.
Sitetracker Launches Scout, an Agentic AI Platform Purpose-Built for Critical Infrastructure8.4.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Sitetracker, the leading Asset Lifecycle Management platform for critical infrastructure, today announced the launch of Scout, its new Agentic AI platform designed to help infrastructure owners, operators, and contractors gain deep insights and drive automation within their operations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260408923336/en/ Scout, ready for real work As your AI analyst and agent, Scout is ready to work on day 1. Scout provides clarity when decisions are forming and momentum when action is required. It surfaces risk, synthesizes information, and helps accelerate execution by connecting data and driving action. Scout creates operational intelligence and turns it into action all in a secure environment that protects data sovereignty. “Our customers are looking to create compounding competitive advantages,” said Giuseppe Incitti, Chief Executive Officer of Sitetracker. “Scout delivers by providing easy t
Westinghouse Hosts Annual VVER Fuel Forum with Customers8.4.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Westinghouse and MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) recently co-hosted the VVER Fuel Forum in Budapest to share insights and plans for the continued deployment of VVER-1000 and VVER-440 fuel in operating reactors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260408646373/en/ Participants to the VVER Fuel Forum Péter János Horváth, CEO of MVM Paks, welcomed all the participants, highlighting that Hungary is ending two decades of single supplier fuel dependency thanks to the agreement recently signed with Westinghouse to supply the VVER-440 NOVA E-6 fuel design. Six customers presented the progress made and positive outcomes achieved in the past years with the introduction of Westinghouse fuel into mixed cores with resident fuel in their reactors: Energoatom has extensive experience with Westinghouse VVER-440 and VVER-1000 fuel, currently used in the nine reactors in operation. Ukraine will be the first country to operate en
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom
