News
July 2009
RELEASE UPON RECEIPT
July 07, 2009 |
For more information, contact:
Blair K. Sartory, Communications Specialist
Community Relations Department
618-257-5932 |
Memorial’s Dr. McPike First in Metro East to
Use New Technology to Help Heart Patients
(Belleville, Illinois) Dr. James McPike, a cardiologist and a member of Memorial Hospital’s medical staff is using an innovative technology to treat patients with heart failure. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) helps restore normal heart function to patients, and through the use of the Medtronic Attain StarFix® lead, surgery outcomes are improving. This device is being used exclusively at Memorial by Dr. McPike, who is the only board certified electrophysiologist in the metro east.
Patients who have experienced heart failure are often plagued by a variety of long-term symptoms. Because the condition creates a reduction in the blood flow to a patient’s brain, kidneys and other organs, it is common for patients to experience mild to severe symptoms including shortness of breath, fluid buildup, and lack of energy. These symptoms often result in hospitalization and require a patient to undergo CRT therapy.
CRT therapy involves administering electronic pulses through the left and right ventricles of the heart, causing them to contract simultaneously. The left ventricle is more complex, requiring a lead, or electronic guide, to be positioned outside the heart wall. Securing a stable lead is one of the greatest obstacles cardiologists face when performing CRT therapy. The Attain StarFix® lead is flexible and allows physicians to achieve stable placement in a variety of vein sizes and anatomies.
“The standard leads were created with a hook or corkscrew shape, which do not work well in the coronary sinus system. Prior to this advancement, standard leads would often dislodge, requiring additional surgeries and inconvenience for patients,” said Dr. McPike. “They are now made with spokes that hold the lead securely in position.” The Medtronic StarFix® lead was first used at Memorial in February of 2009. The patient is still doing very well.
Attain StarFix® leads have a 94.4 percent success rate, compared with industry rates as low as 70 percent. The device prevents dislodgement, which can cause heart failure symptoms to increase and lead to hospitalization. Dislodgement often results in a decrease in the device’s longevity and the need for additional procedures to correct faulty placement.
For more information on the StarFix® lead, contact Dr. McPike at 618-233-0833.
Website: http://www.drjamesmcpike.com/
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