Paoli Hospital Becomes First Hospital In Region To Implant Special Defibrillator

PAOLI, PA -- Lankenau Heart Institute at Paoli Hospital, part of Main Line Health, is the first in the Philadelphia region to implant a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-Ds) approved by the FDA for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, the hospital announced Friday.

CRT devices are designed to help the heart pump more effectively in a coordinated rhythm, decreasing heart failure symptoms and helping to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, according to a press release.

Until now, however, patients with CRT-Ds have not been able to receive MRI scans because of the potential for harmful interaction between the MRI and the device.

With as many as 40 percent of CRT patients meeting an indication for an MRI within four years of receiving a device, thousands of patients implanted with CRT-Ds have not had access to MRI scans when needed.

“Our cardiac team is excited to be leading the way in improving care for heart failure patients,” said Matthew Goldstein, MD, electrophysiologist at Paoli Hospital, in a statement. “Cardiac resynchronization therapy is a vital treatment option for heart failure patients, and has been shown to improve quality of life. Patients being treated for heart failure with these new MR-conditional CRT-D devices will no longer be denied access to MRI scans, which can be critical for doctors to detect and treat other underlying, potentially life-threatening conditions.”

“This novel and valuable advance in pacemaker technology serves as another example of how the Lankenau Heart Institute team collaborates to provide advanced cardiac treatment to improve the lives of our patients,” says William Gray, System Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Disease at Main Line Health and President of Lankenau Heart Institute. “We look forward to continuing to deliver the latest technological advances to those patients requiring treatment at Lankenau Heart Institute locations throughout the region as part of our commitment to provide superior heart care.”

One million people with heart failure are hospitalized each year in the U.S., and 25 percent of them will be re-hospitalized within 30 days. Chronic heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to sustain adequate circulation in the body's tissues. CRT is a cost-effective and beneficial therapy for appropriate patients, helping the heart to effectively pump blood and oxygen to the body, reducing the risk of death and offering improvements in quality of life for heart failure patients.

Allowing for MRI scans on any part of the body without positioning restrictions, the MRI-conditional CRT-Ds from Medtronic are designed to optimize therapy delivery. Amplia MRI features the AdaptivCRT® algorithm, reducing a patient’s odds of a heart failure readmission within 30 days by 59 percent, and reducing the risk of atrial fibrillation by 46 percent.

For more information about the MRI-conditional CRT-Ds, please visit mainlinehealth.org/heart or call 1-866-CALL-MLH.

Image courtesy Paoli Hospital.