Hackensack University Medical Center First in Northeast to Perform Impella 5.5® Heart Pump Device Procedure
Dr. Mark Anderson co-publishes positive findings on surgical circulatory support system outcomes
The newly FDA-approved Impella 5.5® temporary left ventricular assist device (LVAD) was deemed the “best option” to promote each patient’s recovery after cardiogenic shock by Hackensack University Medical Center physicians who participated in a controlled rollout of the device.
Hackensack University Medical Center was the only hospital in the northeastern U.S. selected for the initial rollout. To date, 39 patients have received the Impella 5.5® at the center, and the device recently received FDA pre-market approval for the treatment of cardiogenic shock.
The Impella 5.5® can be used for up to 14 days to support the heart’s recovery. The LVAD is inserted into the left ventricle of the heart through either the axillary artery or directly into the aorta. It can be inserted through axillary artery catheterization through a small incision in a patient’s chest, eliminating the need for an invasive sternotomy or left ventricle coring.
In addition to providing surgeons with a minimally invasive solution to maintain blood flow while allowing the heart to recover, the new device effectively pumps blood at a peak flow of greater than 6 liters/minute to maintain vital organ blood supply and reduces the work and oxygen demands placed on the heart with its fully unloaded design. The pump’s housing is thinner and shorter than previous models, and a fiber optic pressure sensor eases pump insertion and supports precise positioning.
The internet-connected pump allows 24/7 remote monitoring via a mobile device app, and provides data such as left ventricular pressure, end-diastolic pressure and cardiac power output. The pump provides improved patient mobility, which supports faster recovery.
Hackensack University Medical Center’s Mark Anderson, M.D., co-published the rollout outcomes study in the July 2020 edition of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs Journal. In the study, 83.6% of patients survived to explants, with 76.1% of these patients recovering heart function. No device-related strokes, hemolysis or limb ischemia were noted. The pump demonstrated successful clinical and device performance in providing both full hemodynamic support and ventricular unloading for patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction with Cardiogenic Shock (AMICGS), decompensated cardiomyopathy and high-risk cardiac procedures.