First Implanted Wireless Heart-Failure Monitor
June 9th 2014
The (recently) FDA approved CardioMems wireless heart-failure monitor from St. Jude was successfully implanted on a cardiac patient at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. This marks the first successful performed procedure in the U.S for this new implantable hemodynamic monitor designed to observe pulmonary artery pressure for management of heart failure.
The CardioMems system is a technological advancements for heart failure that provides direct access to relevant pulmonary pressure rather than relying on standard symptom and fluid (weight gain) assessment. According to experts, an increase in pulmonary artery pressure is a direct sign of congestion which can help effectively treat patients to avoid repeated hospital admissions.
The CardioMEMS HF system is approved for people with moderate (NYHA class III) heart failure who have had hospitalizations within the last year. About the size of a large paper clip, the device is implanted into the pulmonary artery using a simple catheter-based procedure. It takes real-time measurements of pulmonary artery pressure and transmits the information to physicians for review.
Results from clinical research indicate that patients using the CardioMems heart failure monitor had a reduction in hospitalizations by as much as 37%. The study also shows that the device is safe and potentially cost effective for long term management of congestive heart failure.
Nearly 5 million Americans have heart failure and it’s often under recognized. Symptoms can be mistaken for normal signs of aging. They include: shortness of breath, even during mild activity; difficulty breathing when lying down; weight gain with swelling in the legs and ankles from fluid retention; fatigue and weakness.
