Methodist Hospital
San Antonio, TX - Cardiac surgeons at Methodist Hospital conducted the first procedure in Texas using new heart pump technology that enables heart recovery in patients whose hearts are too weak to effectively pump blood on their own after a heart attack.
The pump gives cardiac surgeons a new option for some of the sickest patients. Heart recovery can allow a patient to go home with his or her native heart and avoid much more costly and more invasive procedures. The new heart pump is temporarily implanted in a patient's heart through minimally invasive techniques. It reduces the heart's workload and oxygen demand, which enables the heart to rest and recover, supplying much needed blood and oxygen to other vital organs.
In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the pump the agency's highest level of regulatory approval. Methodist Hospital was one of only 10 sites in the United States selected to receive this advanced technology and one of only two in Texas.
"We are very excited to introduce this advanced minimally invasive surgical device to our cardiovascular network at Methodist Hospital. It is designed to provide better hemodynamic support and monitoring for acute and chronic heart failure patients," commented Masahiro Ono, MD, Surgical Director of Heart Transplant & MCS, Methodist Hospital. "It gives us longer support with better understanding of patient heart conditions than previous devices and is a great surgical option for cardiac recovery for patients who have suffering heart functions."
The new technology integrates data informatics including left ventricular pressure (LVP), end-diastolic pressure (EDP) and cardiac power output (CPO) that can help physicians make treatment decisions. A fiber optic pressure sensor allows for precise pump positioning, management and repositioning in the ICU. The technology also enables medical providers to view a control screen through a secure, HIPAA-compliant feed to easily track and review cases.
Methodist Hospital is recognized as the leading provider of cardiovascular care in South Texas and aims to provide the most advanced care to patients. Severely ill patients will now have the best chance to recover their native heart and return home with improved long-term quality of life.
Methodist Hospital first conducted this heart pump procedure on October 23, and has since successfully performed two additional procedures.