CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The world's smallest heart pump is on tour. It was at CHRISTUS Spohn Shoreline today.
A lab on wheels pulled up at the downtown hospital to show off the medical device and educate medical staff on how it works. It's the only minimally invasive heart pump approved by the FDA.
The tiny heart pump called the Impella® device has been around for ten years. Impella® is a heart pump intended for temporary use by patients with severe heart function problems who are undergoing PCI but are not candidates for surgical coronary bypass treatment. It's used on patients for six hours or less.
"Our patient population in South Texas is, has a lot of coronary artery disease and often times people find themselves needing stents and angioplasties in their heart. This is a good way to make sure that the heart is supported while they're having that done," said Cole Forbus, a nurse at CHRISTUS Spohn Shoreline.
The Impella® Mobile Learning Lab helps keep hospital staff and physicians up to speed on the technology behind the heart pump.
