World’s Smallest VAD at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

By Caren Malone
WORLD’S SMALLEST VAD OFFERS NEW OPTION IN CARDIAC CARE
AT NEWARKBETHISRAELMEDICALCENTER
 
 
The Heart Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center recently added the world’s smallest ventricular assist device (VAD) to its full array of mechanical cardiac assist devices that take over some or all of the heart’s pumping action for patients with critical heart disease.
Approved by the FDA in June 2008, the Impella 2.5 is the only cardiac assist device that can be placed minimally invasively through a catheter-based procedure. “In addition to its remarkably small size, this device can be placed very quickly to support a failing heart,” said Mark J. Zucker, MD, JD, Director of the Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System.
Unlike VADs placed via open-heart surgery that can remain implanted for several months or even years, the Impella provides temporary support measured in hours or days.
The technology has several applications. Getting enough blood and oxygen to the body after a heart attack is crucial to survival. Studies have shown that use of the device can reduce or limit heart muscle damage after a heart attack by maintaining good blood circulation while the heart is allowed to rest and recover.
The Impella also provides a new treatment option aimed at improving patient outcomes in the catheterization lab. “For patients with poor cardiac function who are considered too high risk for standard catheterization, the Impella can be utilized as a temporary circulatory support during interventional coronary and valve procedures,” explained Dr. Zucker.
Newark Beth Israel was the first to introduce the use of left ventricular assist devices in New Jersey in 1993 and remains one of the East Coast’s principal centers for implantation of the latest generation of mechanical assist devices. It is one of the busiest and most respected mechanical cardiac support programs in the nation. Through the efforts of Dr. Zucker and Margarita Camacho, MD, Surgical Director of Cardiac Transplant and Assist Devices, virtually all approved and investigational implantable VADs have been available at Newark Beth Israel for more than 16 years. 
 “The Impella gives us another option in customizing cardiac treatment for the patient’s specific needs as a bridge to recovery or a more long-term implantable device,” concluded Dr. Camacho.