Heart Hospital of Austin First in Texas to Offer MultiPoint Pacing Technology for Heart Failure Patients
AUSTIN, Texas, May 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 4, 2016, Heart Hospital of Austin became the first facility in Texas to utilize the new MultiPoint Pacing technology to treat a patient with congestive heart failure. This new technology, featured on the Quadra Assura MP™ cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator, delivers electrical pulses to multiple locations within the left side of the heart to resynchronize contraction of the heart's lower chambers.
The first defibrillator implanted with MultiPoint Pacing technology in Texas was performed at Heart Hospital of Austin by David Tschopp, M.D, an electrophysiologist with Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia and Heart Hospital of Austin.
MultiPoint Pacing technology improves a heart failure patient's response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) by increasing the amount of cardiac tissue being stimulated at one time. Additionally, it may reduce the need for costly and invasive procedures to readjust the placement of the thin wires, called leads, around the heart.
"The MultiPoint Pacing system provides us more opportunities to address scar tissue and other factors that may affect a patient's response rate to cardiac resynchronization therapy," Dr. Tschopp said. "This cutting-edge technology is a significant step forward in the treatment of some our most complex cases of congestive heart failure."
According to the American Heart Association, CRT can improve the heart's efficiency at pumping blood to the body and can lessen symptoms of heart failure, including shortness of breath. The goal of MultiPoint Pacing technology is to allow physicians to program the device to capture more left-ventricular tissue at one time by pacing at multiple locations in the heart. Previous studies have shown that activating more ventricular tissue faster may enhance heart muscle performance.
"Heart Hospital of Austin is committed to improving patients' lives while investing in innovative medical solutions, such as the MultiPoint Pacing technology," David Laird, chief executive officer at Heart Hospital of Austin, said. "We are excited to be the first in the state and among the first in the nation to offer this advanced cardiovascular treatment to congestive heart failure patients."
Approximately 23 million people worldwide suffer from congestive heart failure, and two million new cases are diagnosed worldwide each year. Studies have shown that CRT can improve the quality of life for many patients with heart failure, a progressive condition in which the heart weakens and loses its ability to pump an adequate supply of blood. CRT resynchronizes the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart by sending uniquely programmed electrical impulses to stimulate each ventricle to beat in sync for optimal cardiac performance.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved MultiPoint Pacing technology for commercial use in the U.S. in February 2016.
Heart Hospital of Austin
Heart Hospital of Austin, located at 3801 North Lamar Boulevard, is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized with a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—the nation's highest presidential honor for performance excellence through innovation, improvement and visionary leadership—in 2014 and recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Truven Health Analytics in January 2012. Additionally, Heart Hospital of Austin—in conjunction with its parent campus, St. David's Medical Center—received the 2016 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™, 2016 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ and the 2016 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ from Healthgrades—a unique trio of awards that only six hospitals in the nation were able to achieve in 2016. Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals, awarded Heart Hospital of Austin the 2016 America's 100 Best Hospitals Award™ for the second consecutive year—in conjunction with its parent campus, St. David's Medical Center. Heart Hospital of Austin—one of the largest non-academic cardiovascular research sites in the world—is a 58-bed hospital with a comprehensive 24-hour emergency department, an advanced Executive Wellness Program, five operating rooms (ORs), including two hybrid ORs, three catheterization labs and two electrophysiology labs—all equipped with leading-edge technology and highly-specialized personnel. It is one of the highest performing cardiovascular facilities in the nation, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Heart Hospital of Austin has been named one of the Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals in the nation by Truven Health Analytics for nine years and to Truven's list of 100 Top Hospitals for four years, in conjunction with St. David's Medical Center. For more information, please visit HeartHospitalofAustin.com.
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Elizabeth Christian Public Relations
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SOURCE Heart Hospital of Austin
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