The device delivers small electrical impulses to resynchronize the contractions of the heart s chambers. Only a small incision and local anesthesia are required to implant the device. The procedure takes about two hours to perform and requires patients to stay in the hospital overnight. Up to 50 percent of people with advanced heart failure develop abnormalities of the heart's electrical impulses, which disturb the timing of the contractions of the heart's two lower chambers, called ventricles, so that they do not contract simultaneously. When this occurs, it may further compromise the pumping efficiency of the heart and add to symptoms of heart failure, including shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling of the feet and ankles.
Heart failure affects about five million people in the United States.
This debilitating disease is the most frequent cause of hospitalization for people age 65 and older, and often leads to premature death. This device delivers small electrical impulses to synchronize the contractions of the heart's chambers. This could potentially be a therapeutic approach that significantly improves the quality of life for these patient. To date, four Mayo Clinic patients have been implanted with the device. The multi-center study will enroll approximately 200 participants nationwide.