Help for high-risk heart patients

New device keeps the heart pumping
What would happen if you needed a cardiac catheterization but had complications or weren't well enough to undergo the procedure? Previously, you wouldn't have been a good candidate for the lifesaving treatments you would've so desperately needed. But now, Deborah Heart and Lung Center is the first South Jersey hospital to use technology that makes it possible for high-risk patients to get the advanced medical care they need.

Advanced technology
Deborah recently announced its successful debut of the new Impella 2.5 device, which safely and successfully helps high-risk patients undergo cardiac intervention. Deborah is the first hospital in the region to offer this advanced technology.

The Impella 2.5-the world's smallest heart pump-received FDA approval last June. Surgeons in the catheterization lab insert the pump through a small incision in the patient's skin, through the femoral artery and up into the left heart ventricle. Up to 2.5 liters of blood a minute can then be continuously pumped from the left ventricle into the ascending aorta. With this steady blood flow, patients who were too critical to receive a cardiac intervention can get the lifesaving treatment they need.

Helping more patients
“This new technology offers a wide range of possibilities for patients who previously weren't candidates for cardiac intervention,” says Tommy Ng, M.D., head of Deborah's Impella team. “This device has the potential to bring a fundamental shift for cath lab patients.”

“We're excited about this new technology,” adds Manu Rajachandran, M.D., Director of Deborah's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. “This gives us the ability to reach patients who were previously too medically fragile to undergo procedures that could save their lives. It's gratifying to be at the leading edge of medicine.”

Stay heart healthy!
To learn more about cardiac catheterization and how it can help you or a loved one, call Deborah Heart and Lung Center at 1-800-555-1990 or visit www.deborah.org.