New technology at Deborah
Advances in heart and vascular care for you
Deborah Heart and Lung Center’s specialists have introduced new technology, pushing the boundaries on delivering state-of-the-art, minimally invasive procedures in our Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Electrophysiology Department.
Two new devices, the Frontrunner and Crosser, are now being used in the cardiac cath lab to help patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Patients with PVD have blockages in the arteries of their limbs, which causes burning pain, cramping, coldness, changes in skin color, rashes or leg ulcers. Left untreated, PVD can be life threatening and require limb amputation.
Frontrunner and Crosser (commonly known as the “excavator” and “jackhammer”) are two new catheter-delivered devices that help clear those blockages. “Frontrunner works like an excavator,” says Interventional Cardiologist Jon George, M.D. “This device enables us to crack the plaque and create a channel that eases the angioplasty process, sometimes even helping to save a limb. Crosser uses high-frequency vibration to get through a chronic total occlusion [blockage] in the arteries, staving off more invasive surgery.”
A better beat
Deborah’s electrophysiology team is also the first in the region to use the next generation of implantable defibrillators, the Unify CRT-D and the Fortify ICD, both of which recently received Food and Drug Administration approval. The CRT-D device resynchronizes the beating of the heart’s lower chambers, which often beat out of sync in heart failure patients. An ICD is an implantable device that treats potentially lethal, abnormally fast heart rhythms, which can lead to sudden cardiac death. Nearly 6 million Americans suffer from heart failure, and about 283,000 die from it each year.
These new devices offer several key advantages to patients, including delivering the highest amount of energy (40 joules) found in any defibrillator. This amount of energy can be a lifesaver for patients who need a strong electrical interface to correct their heart rhythm. These devices are also designed to prevent unnecessary defibrillation. And, their streamlined size requires a smaller incision and leaves less scarring with fewer screws and connections, so they’re more comfortable for patients.
“This is an exciting breakthrough for our patients,” says Raffaele Corbisiero, M.D., Director of Deborah’s Electromechanical Therapy Institute, “especially for those who have an enlarged heart, low ejection-fraction [a low volume of blood pumped out of the heart], advanced heart failure or who have shown they need a higher amount of energy to shock their heart back to a normal rhythm.”
We have the technology you need!
Visit www.deborah.org/medical/cardiology/cardiology.html to learn about the vast array of cardiac services Deborah Heart and Lung Center can provide to you and your family.