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Danbury Hospital Implements CardioMEMS™ Heart Failure Monitoring System
A small, implantable wireless sensor detects early signs of heart failure
DANBURY, Connecticut – November 21, 2016 – The Danbury Hospital Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center has implemented the CardioMEMS™ Heart Failure Monitoring System – the first and only FDA-approved heart failure monitor proven to significantly reduce the rate of hospital readmissions while improving the quality of life in patients with advanced heart failure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximately 5.7 million adults in the United States have heart failure, which occurs when the weakened heart muscle doesn’t pump enough blood to support the body’s needs. Heart failure is a chronic disease that requires constant vigilance by patients and their doctors, and it’s one of the most common reasons why patients age 65 and older are admitted or readmitted to the hospital. Nationwide, an estimated $30.7 billion is spent annually on health care services and hospital readmissions for patients with heart failure.
Benefits of the CardioMEMS™ Heart Failure System
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“Studies show that following daily trends in the pulmonary artery pressure is a good indicator of worsening heart failure,” said Western Connecticut Medical Group cardiologist Dr. Ira Galin. “The CardioMEMS™ technology provides us with the ability to improve the health outcomes of patients with advanced heart failure by taking action to initiate changes in the patient’s medical therapy before symptoms begin to escalate.”
How it Works
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The CardioMEMS™ Heart Failure System is a battery-free system with three components – a small, wireless implantable sensor, a hospital electronics monitoring system and a patient electronics delivery system. The sensor, which is about the size of a dime, is implanted within the patient’s distal pulmonary artery via a minimally invasive right-heart catheterization procedure.
“At home or other remote location, the patient uses a small pillow that acts as an antenna to transmit heart rate and pulmonary artery pressure data to a safe and secure online portal where the patient’s cardiologist monitors the readings,” explains Dr. Sumit Tickoo, an interventional cardiologist with the Western Connecticut Medical Group.
Patient Eligibility
“To be considered a candidate for the CardioMEMS™ Heart Failure Monitoring System," patients must have had an inpatient admission for heart failure in the last 12 months,” said Dr. Galin. “The patient must also be able to take aspirin for life and Plavix, an antiplatelet medication used to prevent blood clots, for 30 days post-implementation.”
For more information about the CardioMEMS™ Heart Failure Monitoring System, please call Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Care Coordinator Kerri Doughty, RN, at (203) 794-5380.
Plans are underway to introduce the system at Norwalk Hospital – another Western Connecticut Health Network Hospital – by year-end.
About the Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center
The Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital offers life-saving cardiovascular care. Our specialists and skilled clinical teams are supported by the most advanced technology, which allows them to rapidly diagnose and effectively treat cardiac and vascular diseases.
The Center is Chest Pain Accredited and has an experienced team of doctors, nurses, and technicians recruited from the finest academic medical centers available 24/7 for emergency treatment of heart attacks. Our Vascular Surgery Service is Vein Center accredited, an award shared by less than 50 vein centers nationwide.
Our patients experience the best service and outcomes in the region while staying close to home because all the resources they need are right here.
Patients have access to a range of services, supported by generous donors, including disease prevention, diagnostic testing, interventional cardiology, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) endovascular stenting, electrophysiology and minimally invasive open heart and vascular surgery.
Other resources include the Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, the Women's Cardiac Program, clinical research trials, and support services and programs. The Center is a regional training facility for interns, residents and cardiovascular disease fellows.
About Western Connecticut Health Network
Western Connecticut Health Network is the region's premier, patient-centered health care organization serving residents of Western Connecticut and adjacent New York. The organization is anchored by three nationally recognized hospitals, Danbury Hospital, New Milford Hospital and Norwalk Hospital, and their affiliated organizations. The continuum of care offered includes numerous medical practices and sub-specialties across the region, home health care services, a nationally renowned biomedical research institute, the Danbury Hospital & New Milford Hospital Foundation, the Norwalk Hospital Foundation and other affiliates. For more information, visit WCHN.org. Share your comments with us at Facebook.com/DanburyHospital; Facebook.com/NewMilfordHospital and/or Facebook.com/NorwalkHospital.
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