The cardiovascular caregivers at Methodist Hospital recently celebrated the completion of more than 100 life-saving procedures using the Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist, a cardiac support device. Methodist Hospital is among only ten hospitals in the nation to achieve this milestone.
This short-term left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is at the forefront of technology. It is designed to treat heart attack or cardiomyopathy patients in cardiogenic shock and has the unique ability to enable native heart recovery, allowing patients to return home with their own heart. The device temporarily takes over the pumping function of the heart, ensuring that the organ can still pump enough blood for the body while reducing strain during recovery. If the patient is a candidate for cardiac transplantation, this technology also serves as a bridge-to-transplant therapy, enabling the patient to survive until a donor’s heart becomes available. The device is removed at the time of transplant.
“This technology is advancing the standard of care for our patients. The mechanical circulatory device is a minimally invasive surgical option for our acute heart failure patients and provides us with an effective bridge-to-therapy option for patients requiring cardiac transplantation. Because it offers our patients mobility during recovery, we are seeing improved outcomes, fewer symptoms, enhanced quality of life, and shortened hospital stays,” commented Masahiro Ono, MD, Medical Director of the Heart Failure and Transplant Program for Methodist Hospital.
Methodist Hospital is leading the nation as one of the top 10 volume centers offering this technology to patients and providing superior results.
To learn more about cardiovascular care at Methodist Hospital, visit https://sahealth.com/specialties/heart-failure.