London, Ontario - London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC) cardiac transplant team recently used a new and innovative device that will allow it to save more lives in a way that is safer and more comfortable for the patient than previously used devices.
The Impella cardiac-assist device, described as the world’s smallest heart pump, helps the heart pump oxygenated blood to the body so that the patient can become stronger prior to heart transplantation.
Terry Elliott, 49 years old from Woodstock, Ontario, found himself needing a heart transplant after meeting with his cardiac specialist on Nov. 4, 2010. “They found a bed for me right away and I was put on the transplant list. Unfortunately, my kidneys were shutting down and the medicine they were giving me was no longer working,” recalls Elliott.
“In some cases, patients are simply too sick and they need an intervention to help them become well enough to survive an intensive operation such as a heart transplant. We call this reconditioning,”explains Dr. Bob Kiaii, cardiac surgeon and chief of the Cardiac Surgery at LHSC.
Elliott’s care team offered him the Impella device. After a two-hour surgery on Nov. 10, his internal organs began recuperating. “I felt better right away,” says Elliott.
During his time on the Impella, Mr. Elliott’s kidneys, liver and lungs improved as did his general condition. After five days on the Impella cardiac assist device, a heart became available for Mr. Elliott.
“Those few days did indeed strengthen Mr. Elliott’s condition and he was physically able to undergo the heart transplant. He tolerated the transplantation well and was released only 16 days after his operation and less than one month after being admitted to hospital,” describes Dr. Mac Quantz, cardiac surgeon and director of the cardiac transplant team at LHSC.
“Although I have a long recovery ahead of me, this device gave me the strength to undergo a heart transplant and I believe it allowed me to leave hospital earlier than most other patients,” says Elliott.
With the addition of the Impella heart pump, LHSC will be able to provide state-of-the-art care to the people of southwestern Ontario.
For media inquiries contact:
Stephan Beckhoff
Corporate Communications and Public Relations London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500 ext 74772
stephan.beckhoff@lhsc.on.ca
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