Montreal Gazette, et al. - New heart pump being tested in Canada; Considered bridge to transplant

The first Canadian to receive a new heart device that could strongly reduce the chance of stroke says the pump has expanded her options and given her a sense of freedom she hasn't enjoyed in years. Lauza Legere was fitted with the C-Pulse cuff in December and finding a fresh breath has been a much easier task since. The heart-assisting device is currently part of a clinical trial at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal.

"I am a lot better than before," Legere said in a phone interview from her home in Laval, Que. "Before, I was always searching for my breath, but now I can walk and talk without searching for it…"

Dr. Renzo Cecere of the McGill University Health Centre says Legere is the first person in Canada to get the device, which reduces blood clots that can cause strokes. He is currently conducting trials on the pump and hopes to implant 12 devices in the next 18 months.