Temporary Heart Pump

Harrison is one of 10 hospitals in Washington—and the only medical center on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas—to offer ventricular circulatory assistance (Impella device) for cardiac patients. The Impella is a narrow catheter with a tiny pump at one end. It offers a quick, non-invasive way to ease the burden on the heart while doctors work to install long-term solutions, such as stents.

Impella 2.5 Percutaneous Circulatory Support System

Time is of the essence when heart attack or other traumas compromise the heart’s ability to pump life-giving blood to vital organs. The world's smallest heart pump, the Impella 2.5 is designed to help cardiac patients buy precious time for their hearts to heal.

What it does

The Impella temporarily supplements the heart’s pumping ability, allowing the heart to rest and recover as normal blood flow is re-established. It can pump 2.5 liters of blood per minute—nearly half of the body’s normal capacity. The Impella 2.5 is FDA-cleared to provide partial circulatory support for six hours, but some patients nationally have used the device for up to two weeks, making it a useful option for patients awaiting heart transplant.

How it works

Doctors insert a catheter into the femoral artery of either leg to guide the Impella up to the heart. Once in place, the device pulls blood from the left ventricle and expels the blood into the patient’s ascending aorta for circulation through the body.

Benefits:

• Minimally invasive
• New treatment option for higher-risk patients
• Enables patients to be stabilized quickly after an acute cardiac event
• Reduces blood-flow disruptions that can cause heart damage

Medical expertise

Satyavardhan “Satya” Pulukurthy, MD, joined Kitsap Cardiology Consultants in 2006 and is trained and certified in Impella 2.5. He has the rare distinction of earning five national board certifications—in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, Interventional Cardiology, Endovascular Medicine and Nuclear Cardiology.