Specialists from the Institute of Heart Diseases at the Medical University of Wroclaw, Poland, were the first in Poland to implant a patient with an Impella 5.5 pump - a modern device that relieves and supports the heart. Thanks to it, they saved the life of a young man who is now waiting for an organ transplant.
Innovative surgery at the Wroclaw Heart Institute
Published April 3, 2023 08:33
Impella is a small device shaped like an elongated tube, which is normally implanted into the left ventricle of the heart through the femoral artery located in the groin. It is usually used when a weakened or damaged organ is unable to work and pump blood on its own. This is most often the case for patients who have suffered cardiogenic shock due to myocardial infarction or acute myocarditis, or are awaiting heart transplantation in serious condition.
- The impella takes over the function of the left ventricle of the heart, pumping blood from it and mechanically pumping it into the aorta and then the entire circulatory system. Thus, it allows the organ to regenerate," explains Wiktor Kuliczkowski, MD, head of the Hemodynamics Laboratory at the University Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw.
Impella pumps are not new to the medical market, but they are still being improved and new versions are being developed, which are getting better and safer for patients' health. This latest one is the 5.5 model, which was the first in the country to be used by cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons from the Institute of Heart Diseases at the Medical University of Wroclaw. A team including Dr. Roman Przybylski, Dr. Maciej Bochenek, Dr. Wiktor Kuliczkowski, Dr. Krzysztof Ściborski and Dr. Tomasz Kotwica participated in the operation.
They applied the device to a 47-year-old man who had congenital heart damage in the form of dilated cardiomyopathy. The heart attack he underwent a few weeks ago, despite the implantation of a stent, impaired the organ so much that now his only salvation is a transplant. The patient is on the waiting list of the Transplant Organizing and Coordinating Center "Poltransplant" and is currently under the care of the team of the USK Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care.
To date, specialists at the Institute of Heart Diseases at the Wroclaw University of Medical Sciences have mainly used Impella CP devices and have implanted more than 50 of them. They pump a maximum of 3.5-4 liters of blood per minute and can remain in the patient's body for up to five days.
- The Impella 5.5 is a completely new, much more advanced technology. It is inserted through the subclavian artery, allowing the patient to rehabilitate faster, and has a capacity of up to six liters of blood per minute and can be implanted for up to a month, adds Dr. Victor Kuliczkowski.
Source: press release
