Heart Failure Health Center

Filter May Help Treat Heart Failure

A Patient's View

Eric Guggemos, a 33-year-old chef who has suffered from heart failure since 1989, says the device "gave me my life back."

Guggemos tells WebMD that he was switched from one drug to another after diuretics stopped working for him. Then last year, his weight swelled to 275 pounds and he could barely get out of his chair.

After admitting himself to the hospital, he says he was offered the device. "I literally watched the fluid come out. Within 24 hours, I could feel the difference; I was lighter and could breathe and move around easier. It's incredible."

Costanzo says that although the initial cost is more, there is the potential for real cost savings due to the reduction in rehospitalizations.

The Aquadex FlexFlow device costs about $10,000, and the filters used in each process cost about $800. Heart failure is associated with $28 billion in health care costs annually in the U.S.

The study was funded by CHF Solutions of Minneapolis, which markets the device.