Conway Regional Medical Center has announced the completion of its first procedure with the Abiomed’s Impella 2.5 heart pump by Cardiologists Parker Norris, MD, and Eric Bowen, MD. Drs. Norris and Bowen performed the first procedure on Jerry Bruce Rowlett of Guy last week. Mr. Rowlett is currently at home and says “I’m feeling great.”

He added, “It’s a good feeling. I was told that I had about half the blood flow that I needed before. Now I’m able to be on my feet most all day. I don’t believe that anybody could have recovered any more quickly than I did.” Mr. Rowlett said the Impella device enabled Dr. Norris to place a stent in an artery of his heart opening up blood flow. He said he was unable to have a stent in 2001 because of complications with his heart. That year he had more invasive bypass surgery.

Conway Regional became the first hospital in Arkansas to use the device which provides a minimally-invasive method of increasing the blood flow to the heart during heart procedures or during heart events such as advanced cardiac failure or a heart attack. Now, cardiologists in Conway can add the world’s smallest heart pump to their portfolio of treatment options to assist critically ill patients.

The Impella 2.5 was inserted via the femoral artery into the left ventricle, a procedure that lasts just a few minutes in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Conway Regional. Up to 2.5 liters of blood are delivered by the pump from the left ventricle into the ascending aorta, providing the heart with active support five times faster than current industry devices and three to five times more blood flow than the present standard of care.

“The Impella 2.5 represents a significant investment in minimally invasive cardiovascular technology,” said Jim Lambert, Conway Regional’s President and CEO. “This new device arms our team with an enhanced cutting-edge option when performing life-saving cardiovascular procedures. For certain patients this breakthrough technology may offer the best chance for a positive outcome and Conway Regional is dedicated to providing the best possible care for our patients. This step represents another first for Conway Regional’s cardiovascular program which was also the first hospital in Arkansas to perform the Beating Heart surgery in 2001.”

In June 2008, the Impella 2.5 catheter-based heart pump received approval from the Food and Drug Administration. As the smallest heart pump on the market, Impella 2.5 works by temporarily relieving the heart’s pumping function and providing the time needed to initiate life-saving interventions.

More than 300 U.S. hospitals currently using Impella 2.5, and Conway Regional is the first in Arkansas to use the device.

Click here for more information about Abiomed and the Impella 2.5 heart pump.