Albany Med treatment for heart failure debuts
Therapy consists of an implanted device that uses electrical pulses
Doctors at Albany Medial Center have successfully implanted a groundbreaking, recently Fda-approved heart failure device designed to treat patients who haven’t had success with other treatment options.
Albany Med is the second institution to perform the procedure in New York.
Barostim Baroreflex Activation Therapy consists of an implanted device that uses electrical pulses to stimulate the heart’s blood pressure sensors through an electrode that lies on the patient’s carotid artery in the neck.
Unlike other heart failure treatment options, the device doesn’t touch the heart. The electrical impulses that are sent from the device inform the brain of the heart’s condition, enabling the brain to improve the function of the heart by relaxing the blood vessels, thereby slowing the heart rate. Over time, the heart will regain strength, lessening the symptoms of heart failure, enabling patients to return to normal activity, Albany Med said in a statement.
“This unique technology is customizable to meet each patient’s individual therapy needs and offers the potential to improve quality of life and reduce health risks associated with heart failure, including heart and kidney disease, stroke, and death,” said Dr. R. Clement Darling III, chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and who performed the procedure, in a statement. “We are proud to bring heart failure patients in our region this life-changing therapy.”
Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Without effective treatment, people with heart failure tend to experience poor quality of life and die within five years of being diagnosed.
Candidates for the Barostim procedure are patients who have symptoms of heart failure, including shortness of breath, fatigue and decreased tolerance for exercise, and have met other criteria.
Barostim, created by Minneapolis-based company CVRX, received FDA pre-market approval in 2019 and is now commercially available to reduce the symptoms of heart failure in eligible patients.