86-year-old operated with support of Impella Heart Pump at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute

Could provide hope for treatment to numerous patients

An 86-year old patient suffering from life threatening blockages, who was at extreme high risk for bypass surgery was recently operated on ‘Protected Angioplasty and stenting procedure’ with support of Impella Heart Pump. The procedure marked the beginning of the first ‘Heart Recovery Program’ in India, where the device can help the patient’s own diseased and weak heart to rest, recover and function on its own.

Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman, Cardiovascular Sciences, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute performed the procedure on the 86-year old patient. The device can help the patient’s own diseased and weak heart to rest, recover and function on its own.

The new ‘Impella Device’ is the ‘world’s smallest heart pump’, which can support a failing heart for upto seven-days and occasionally longer. The Impella Device is like a catheter and works on the principle of submersible water pump; it is a thick as a pencil and approx. 6 inches long. Unlike other devices (which are large and need a surgery to implant) the Imeplla can be inserted into the heart without an operation percutaneously through the groin artery in the Cath Lab; it can provide blood flows of 2.5 – 3.5 litres/min. Impella heart pump is used to help maintain stable heart function and to help ensure blood flow is maintained to critical organs such as the brain and kidneys in cases of cardiogenic shock or during high risk angioplasties or surgeries.

Once in position, the Impella heart pump withdraws blood from the left ventricle and expels it in to the ascending aorta, the same effect that happens with the pumping motion of your heart.

Dr Seth said, The Impella can support failing heart (cardiogenic shock) due to heart attack or myocarditis for upto seven-days or even longer till heart recovery occurs. It can also be used to support the heart in cases of high risk angioplasties (Protected PCI) in patients with poor heart function and where surgery is considered too risky. It has been proven to support the heart to improve safety of the procedure and improve outcomes. When the procedure is over or the heart recovery occurs, the device can just be pulled out and removed as it is like a catheter. It is approved in and has been used in the US and Europe for the last few years and has been introduced into India now.