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We provide our users the most up-to-date and accurate information on the treatment and prevention of cardio pathologies in accordance with current American and European clinical guidelines.
The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a licensed physician for diagnosis and treatment.
What is Impella?
Introduction
Impella is a small heart pump that provides temporary circulatory support for patients with severe heart failure or cardiogenic shock. It helps maintain blood flow when the heart is too weak to pump effectively on its own.
How Does the Impella Device Work?
The Impella device is inserted into the heart through a catheter, usually via the femoral artery in the leg or through an alternative access site. Once inside the heart, it assists in pumping blood from the left ventricle into the aorta, ensuring that vital organs receive adequate oxygen and nutrients.
Key Functions:
- Supports circulation in cases of acute heart failure or cardiogenic shock.
- Reduces the workload on the heart, allowing it to recover.
- Can be used during high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) to stabilize the patient.
Who Needs an Impella Device?
Impella is commonly used in patients with: - Cardiogenic shock after a heart attack. - Severe left ventricular failure. - High-risk PCI (such as coronary artery stenting in patients with poor cardiac function). - Post-cardiotomy shock (heart failure following heart surgery).
Risks and Considerations
While the Impella device provides significant benefits, it is associated with potential risks, including: - Bleeding or vascular complications at the insertion site. - Hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells). - Arrhythmias. - Infection.
Conclusion
The Impella device is a life-saving innovation in interventional cardiology, providing crucial circulatory support to critically ill patients. However, it should only be used in carefully selected cases under expert medical supervision.
Source recommendations
1. American College of Cardiology Guidelines on Mechanical Circulatory Support
- https://www.acc.org/Clinical-Topics/Heart-Failure-and-Cardiomyopathies/Mechanical-Circulatory-Support
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25861963/
- https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2016/08/31/08/01/use-of-acute-mechanical-circulatory-support-devices
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000507
- https://scai.org/publications/clinical-documents/scaiacchfsasts-clinical-expert-consensus-statement-use-percutaneous
2. European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on Acute and Chronic Heart Failure
- https://www.escardio.org/Guidelines/Clinical-Practice-Guidelines/Acute-and-Chronic-Heart-Failure
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34447992/
- https://www.escardio.org/Guidelines/Clinical-Practice-Guidelines/Focused-Update-on-Heart-Failure-Guidelines
- https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/42/36/3599/6358045
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejhf.2333
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If you or your loved ones experience any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor in time. Remember that self-medication can be dangerous, and timely diagnosis will preserve the quality and life expectancy.
The heart is an organ that does not know how to "keep silent" if something goes wrong. Chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling, dizziness, and rhythm disturbances are the symptoms that require our attention. The best prevention of heart disease is careful attention to your health, regular checkups with a doctor, and a healthy lifestyle. Take care of your heart, and it will serve you for many years!
Our advantages:
We monitor all innovations and changes in the field of cardiac disease treatment on a daily basis.
Every 3-5 years, half of the scientific approaches to treatment in the field of cardiology are reviewed as a result of specialized scientific discoveries. With us, you don't have to wait these years to learn about the best ways to treat you and your loved ones.