AdventHealth Tampa announced in a press release that they have performed their first wireless monitoring sensor implant to help physicians manage heart failure patients remotely. The FDA-approved procedure is designed to reduce hospital admissions by 58 percent and improve quality of life for patients. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 6 million Americans have heart failure and 900,000 new patients are diagnosed each year.
“This innovative technology is opening up a new chapter in how we treat patients with heart failure,” said Dr. Oliver Abela, cardiologist at AdventHealth Tampa and one of the few cardiologists in the country who is board certified both in advanced heart failure and interventional cardiology.
“We are committed to elevating cardiovascular care in our community and adding CardioMEMS HF System allows us to treat heart failure patients from a distance and, proactively personalize their medical needs.”
During the minimally invasive procedure, physicians insert a small sensor (the size of a paper clip) into the patient’s pulmonary artery. Once implanted, the patient goes home with a queen-sized pillow device that connects wirelessly to the sensor, allowing physicians to monitor the patient’s heart failure status from anywhere.
- Patients will usually be discharged from the hospital 4 hours after the procedure and should make a full recovery in a week.
- The monitoring sensor is designed to last the lifetime of the patient and doesn’t require batteries.
- There is no pain or discomfort for the patients during the sensor readings.
