Riverview Regional Medical Center’s Heart & Vascular team performed Etowah County’s first-ever Abiomed Impella 2.5 procedure on Wednesday, Aug. 13th. Dr. B. J. Patel, a Cardiologist at Riverview Regional Medical Staff, performed the procedure. This new technology is aimed at providing fast, effective relief for critically ill patients suffering from heart attack and heart failure.
The Abiomed Impella 2.5, the world’s smallest heart pump, is designed to quickly assist a patient’s heart in restoring normal or near-normal blood flow levels throughout the body.
Patients can remain on the Impella 2.5 for up to several days, giving them time to recover or providing physicians time to perform life-saving procedures.
Unlike most other heart-assist pumps, the Impella 2.5 does not require open-chest surgery to be implanted, and provides a much higher blood flow than other pumps.
“This new device can, in fact, be a lifesaver for critical heart attack and heart failure patients,” remarked Dr. B J Patel.
“Since it doesn’t require open surgery, we can use the device for many patients who could not survive more invasive procedures,” he continued.
The Impella 2.5 is inserted via a catheter through a small hole in the leg and then routed through the aorta into the main pumping chamber of the heart.
Once activated, the device can deliver 2.5 to 5 liters of blood flow per minute, restoring blood pressure to a safe level.
Riverview Regional is the first hospital in the region to offer the Abiomed Impella 2.5. Impella 2.5 procedures will primarily be performed in the catheterization lab in the Riverview Heart and Vascular Center.
The procedure further expands treatment options at the Center, which include CT scans, CT angiography, defibrillator and pacemaker implants, angioplasty, also known as stents, various vascular procedures, and heart catheterizations.
Riverview Regional has long been a regional leader in coronary care and is a designated Chest Pain Center. The area’s first bypass surgery in northeast Alabama was performed at Riverview in 1982.
Riverview Regional Medical Center is one of Alabama’s leading providers of care. The Hospital consistently ranks as one of the top hospitals in the Gadsden Metropolitan Area.
Recognized for advanced technology, innovative treatments, collaboration among Alabama’s leading health care professionals and a highly compassionate patient care team, Riverview serves as a vital healthcare facility for residents of numerous surrounding communities and cities as well as patients from around the state.
To learn more about the Abiomed Impella 2.5 and other services offered through the Heart and Vascular Center, visit us online at www.riverregional.com or call 256-543-5200.
Located in Gadsden, Riverview Regional Medical Center is a 281-bed acute-care hospital serving more than 350,000 residents in Etowah and the contiguous counties.
A full range of services and programs are offered, including a Heart and Vascular Center, Sleep Lab, Heartburn Treatment Center, Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center, and Imaging Center.
Riverview Regional Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).