A team of cardiologists at the Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center and OSU College of Medicine are the first specialists in the United States to treat acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) with a new pulmonary neuromodulation system.
The procedure, performed as part of a clinical trial, involves placing a minimally invasive catheter in a vein in the patient’s neck and through their heart. It then rests in the patient’s pulmonary artery, stimulating a nerve on the back of the heart to improve the body’s ability to pump blood.
Sitaramesh Emani, MD, director of heart failure clinical research at the OSU Wexner Medical Center and an associate professor at the OSU College of Medicine, performed the procedure with assistance from Rami Kahwash, MD.
“Currently, drugs are the main treatment for acute decompensated heart failure, but many have side effects that may limit benefit, especially for patients who are sicker or more complex,” Emani said in a prepared statement. “Options to treat ADHF have not evolved as rapidly, despite a significant and ongoing need for proven treatments. What’s truly novel about this system is that it treats both the underlying problem and symptoms of ADHF.”
The patient for this historic procedure was Robert Dye, a 65-year-old out of Columbus, Ohio, who had a history of shortness of breath and poor circulation.
“I feel 100% better and like I have a new lease on life,” Dye said in the same statement. “My color is back, I don’t have shortness of breath and my legs and arms aren’t cold anymore.”
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.