Wireless cardio implant could be a game changer

CardioMEMS is an implantable system that can measure and monitor pulmonary artery pressures

Heart failure specialists at Vidant Medical Center are now able to implant CardioMEMS which includes an implantable pulmonary artery sensor (PA sensor) and delivery system along with an electronic monitoring system for patients to use at home.

The CardioMEMS HF System is approved for use in patients with prior history of hospitalisation for decompensated heart failure.

The PA sensor is about the size of a small paper clip and does not require any batteries or wires.

The implantable pressure sensor is permanently placed in the pulmonary artery during a right heart catheterisation, often as an outpatient procedure.

Once home, patients take a daily reading by lying on a special pillow attached to a console, which then sends the information to the heart failure team.

After analysing the data, the doctor may adjust the patient’s heart failure medications accordingly.

Dr. Hassan Alhosaini, medical director of the heart failure program at East Carolina Heart Institute, said: “This platform is one of the most robust monitoring modalities that are currently available for the management of heart failure.

“It is undoubtedly a game changer, allowing clinical providers to pivot from heart failure crisis management to proactive and personalised patient care delivery based on actionable information provided by this remote monitoring modality.”