Green Bay, Wis. –  Advanced heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart is too weak to pump enough blood throughout the body.

For some patients with advanced heart failure, it may be determined their condition is too severe to undergo a typical stenting procedure to increase blood flow. So, how can a patient in these circumstances safely get the care, or more specifically, the stent they need? 

Prevea Health interventional cardiologists Drs. Jennifer Davis, Todd Fergus, Simil Gala and  Anas Sarhan are now providing a procedure called, “protected stenting” with the Impella® Heart Pump at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. The Impella is the only FDA-approved, non-surgical heart pump proven safe and effective to assist the pumping function of the heart during stent placement and ensure blood flow is maintained to critical organs.

During the protected stenting procedure, an interventional cardiologist uses a catheter to insert the pencil-sized pump into a small incision on the patient’s femoral artery, then advances it through the arteries and into the heart. The pump, referred to by its maker, Abiomed as “the world’s smallest heart pump,” reduces the workload of the patient’s heart muscle as the interventional cardiologist places the stent.  

“It assists the pumping function of the heart to efficiently deliver blood and oxygen to the entire body and ensures blood flow is maintained to critical organs,” said Dr. Gala “This allows us to more safely perform the stenting procedure and better ensure a successful outcome for these patients. Our team is proud to be among the first in Northeast Wisconsin to use this advancement in medicine to care for our patients who are critically ill with heart disease.” 

When the support of the pump is no longer needed following the protected stent procedure, the interventional cardiologist will remove it before the patient leaves the hospital.

In addition to stenting, the Impella Heart Pump can also be used when performing procedures such as valve treatment or serve as a bridge to heart surgery on qualifying patients with advanced heart failure. For more information about the Impella Heart Pump, used by Prevea Health interventional cardiologists at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital, please visit:  www.prevea.com/impella. 

About Prevea Health
Founded in Green Bay, Wis. in 1996, Prevea Health is a health care organization that provides high-quality, primary and specialty health care in 80+ locations across Northern, Eastern and Western Wisconsin in clinic and hospital settings. It is partnered with six Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals across Wisconsin to provide patients a system of highly coordinated care, close to home: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay; HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan; HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls; HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire; and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls. For more information, visit www.prevea.com.