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NEARLY 5.8 MILLION

people in the United States have

heart failure (HF), a condition in which the heart cannot

pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. HF is the

primary reason for more than 1 million hospitalizations

annually—and 25 percent of HF patients who are dis-

charged from the hospital are readmitted within onemonth.

BETTER TRACKING MEANS BETTER PREVENTION

The

CardioMEMS HF System, approved by the U.S. Food

and Drug Administration in May 2014, is the first per-

manently implantable wireless system designed to pro-

vide pulmonary artery (PA) measurements. (The PA is

the blood vessel that moves blood from the heart to the

lungs.) The system uses a miniaturized, wireless moni-

toring sensor that is implanted in the patient’s PA during

a minimally invasive procedure to directly measure PA

pressure. The system is used by patients in their homes

or other remote locations to provide specific PA pressure

measurements—while patients live their everyday lives

in the comfort of their own homes.

The PA pressure data are then reviewed remotely by

physicians—who can make decisions regarding the sta-

tus of the patient and, if necessary, initiate changes in

medical therapy, with the goal of reducing hospitaliza-

tion due to HF.

The CardioMEMS HF system consists of three parts:

● 

An implantable sensor is permanently placed in the

PA. The PA sensor, which requires no batteries or wires,

is about the size of small paper clip and has a thin, curved

wire at each end.

● 

The delivery system is a long, thin, flexible tube (cathe-

ter) that moves through the blood vessels and is designed

to release the implantable sensor in the far end of the PA.

● 

The Patient Electronics System includes an electronics

unit, antenna and a specially designed pillow. Together,

the components of the Patient Electronics System read

the PA pressure measurements from the sensor wirelessly

and then transmit the information to the doctor. (The

antenna is paddle-shaped and is pre-assembled inside

a pillow to make it easier and more comfortable for the

patient to take readings.)

HIGH MARKS AT MCM

Cardiac electrophysiologist

Dale Yoo, MD, implanted Medical Center of McKinney’s

(MCM) first CardioMEMS

HF device earlier this year.

“For the millions of peo-

ple affected by heart failure,

the CardioMEMs HF system

could literally be a game-

changer!” Dr. Yoo says. “The

goal of this first-of-its-kind

implantable wireless device

is to reduce heart failure-

related hospitalizations and

deaths. Measuring pressure

in the lung arteries in real

time allows us to proactively manage treatment for

patients with worsening heart failure before visible

symptoms, such as weight and blood pressure changes

or shortness of breath, occur.”

As those affected know far too well, HF is often a

frustrating and stressful part of their daily lives. “A chal-

lenge these patients face is the sudden onslaught of heart

failure symptoms—they are suddenly retaining fluids;

their legs are swollen; their clothing and shoes don’t fit;

they are short of breath, dizzy and feeling completely

miserable,” Dr. Yoo says. “The great thing about the

CardioMEMS HF system is that it enables us to predict

if the condition is about to happen and stop it before

it actually does. This is huge in terms of improving the

quality of life and overall mortality rate for heart failure

patients!”

And here’s another

great thing about the

CardioMEMS HF System:

“The placement of this

amazing device is mini-

mally invasive and in no

way entails a surgical in-

cision through the chest

wall or anything close to

open heart surgery,” Dr.

Yoo says. “In fact, it is

a 15- to 20-minute pro-

cedure, and patients are

back at home the same

day.”

HOMEWORK IS A BREEZE

Once an HF patient has been

implanted with the wireless device and has the Car-

dioMEMS HF system at home, the process is surprisingly

simple, consisting of a few easy-to-follow steps.

At home, the patient uses a portable electronic unit

and a special pillow containing an antenna to take daily

sensor readings. This is an easy, painless process that

takes only a few minutes. The external unit transmits the

readings to a secure website where the data can be seen

by the patient’s clinician.

“In most cases, patients take readings from home (or

from other nonclinical locations) daily or every couple

of days,” Dr. Yoo says. “After analyzing the information,

we may decide to make medication changes to help treat

the patient’s heart failure.”

LESS HOSPITALIZATIONS—MORE QUALITY OF LIFE!

There’s no question: Access to PA pressure data provides

doctors with another way to better manage a patient’s

HF and potentially reduce HF-related hospitalizations.

Just ask Dr. Yoo.

“It’s been fantastic!” he says. “Here at Medical Center

of McKinney alone, heart failure patients have avoided

multiple hospitalizations due to the CardioMEMs HF

system. I’d like every person who suffers from heart

failure to know about the CardioMEMS HF system. Not

only will it prevent multiple hospital admissions, it will

save many lives.”

MEDICAL CENTER OF

MCKINNEY OFFERS

CARDIOMEMS HEART

FAILURE SYSTEM

Dale Yoo, MD

HEART ATTACK:

Know the warning signs

If you see these in yourself or someone else, don’t wait.

CALL 911

.

Chest pain, pressure, fullness or

squeezing that lasts more than a

few minutes or comes and goes

Pain in the arms, shoulder,

back, neck, jaw or stomach

Source: American Heart Association

Sudden lightheadedness, shortness

of breath, nausea or cold sweat

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

F A L L 2 0 1 5 | W W W. M E D I C A L C E N T E R O F M C K I N N E Y . C O M

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