UK is the only Kentucky facility using the device now, but it could be generally available by 2002, Abraham said. Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. It can have several causes, but the result is a fluid buildup that makes breathing difficult, causes swelling and leaves victims weak and exhausted. Up to 5 million Americans are effected, with more than 400,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Rates are rising as the population ages.
Doctors usually treat heart failure with diuretics to reduce fluids and ease symptoms.
But too much medicine leaves patients dangerously dehydrated, and too little leaves the heart struggling to pump. Balancing medication is tough because doctors don't always know what the pressures and fluid levels in the heart really are. It is placed under the skin just below the left shoulder, much like a traditional pacemaker. A second, external device worn at the waist records barometric pressure, which is necessary to determine accurate heart pressures. Patients transmit this stored information to the doctor using a home unit called an interactive remote monitor.