SAN DIEGO -- Millions of people are living with congestive heart failure -- a condition where the heart doesn't pump as well as it should.

Medications can control the condition, but there is no cure.

Now, researchers at UCSD Medical Center are testing a new device that may be able to help people where medication has failed.

"The amount of medications that I have to have would boggle most people's minds," Philip Payne said.

Payne is trying to lead an active life, despite having congestive heart failure.

"You have a lot of bumps along the way," Payne said.

The problem is that chronic heart failure causes the heart to weaken because of poor blood flow -- that's where the new device comes in, 10News reported.

"We are very excited to have this therapy available for patients here at UCSD," UCSD Cardiologist Dr. Barry Greenberg said.

The therapy is an experimental heart pump called Cancion, which can improve blood flow to a failing heart.

"The device will pump somewhere about a liter and a half of blood a minute and that really helps blood flow and augment blood flow to tissues throughout the body," Greenberg said.

The pump delivers the blood to the aorta above the heart while the patient's heart recovers.

"There are periods when patients with heart failure do deteriorate, and it's during those periods when intervention might be very helpful to them," Greenberg said.

UCSD is one of 40 centers around the country taking part in a study to find out if the Cancion heart pump can improve conditions of patients with severe congestive heart failure.

"The preliminary results from this have been very promising, and we are really looking forward to seeing how this approach works in the pivotal clinical trial," Greenberg said.

Payne's heart is keeping up for now, but he's relieved to know there may be new options for himself and others with heart failure.

"It's a very fine dance to try to get the right balance of medications that will do the job," Payne said.

The goal of the study is to see if the pump can reduce hospital stays, improve survival and reduce deaths from congestive heart failure.

If you would like more information on the study, call UCSD at (619) 543-7723.