What does an Impella do in the heart?
The Impella pulls blood from the ventricle and pushes it out into the aorta, delivering oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. This allows your heart to rest while the doctor performs the PCI.
What is a cardiac Impella device?
The Impella device is a catheter-based miniaturized ventricular assist device that pumps blood from left ventricle (LV) into ascending aorta and responsible for systemic circulation at an upper rate between 2.5 and 5.0 L/min.
Why would a patient need an Impella?
Impella has been increasingly used in patients with: Severe heart failure – When the heart muscle is weak, blood cannot be pumped efficiently enough to get oxygen to all of the cells. Sometimes the heart becomes enlarged and weak. Other times it may be thick and stiff.
When is an Impella used?
Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) is a percutaneously inserted ventricular assist device (VAD). It has been increasingly used in patients with severe heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and high-risk percutaneous intervention (PCI).
What is the difference between LVAD and Impella?
LVAD—Used in patients with very low (less than 20%) left ventricular ejection fractions, these devices assist cardiac output in a ventricle that is too sick to provide adequate stroke volume. While some LV function is required, the Impella can nearly entirely compensate for a failed left ventricle in a resting patient.
What is the difference between Impella and ECMO?
The Impella pumps blood in parallel with the heart. It aspirates blood directly from the LV into the aorta, thereby maintaining physiological flow. On the other hand, while VA-ECMO also pumps in parallel with heart, it results in a non-physiological flow.
How do you get rid of Impella?
Traditionally, the Impella® devices are removed via surgical repair of the common femoral artery, or percutaneously with applied pressure at the access site to achieve hemostasis. However, hemostasis can be difficult to obtain with pressure due to large sheath size.
Is Impella a balloon pump?
The most common devices are the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), the Impella and the extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO).
How is Impella inserted?
The Impella® blood pump is inserted into the femoral artery through a small incision in the leg. The Impella® blood pump can also be inserted into the subclavian artery through a small incision in the chest. Then it is advanced through the patient’s artery to their heart.
Is impella a balloon pump?
Who invented the Impella?
Dr. Thorsten Siess
Thorsten Siess, Abiomed’s Chief Technology Officer and Inventor of Impella® Shares his Insights on the Impella Platform of Heart Pumps.
Does Impella stay?
The Impella 2.5 LVAD consists of a small microaxial pump that is usually inserted in a retrograde manner percutaneously in the femoral artery and, after it is advanced into the heart, sits in the left ventricle [4].