Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center becomes the first hospital in South Florida to use Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist heart recovery technology

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center (PBGMC) recently became the first hospital in South Florida to treat a patient with Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist, one of the world’s smallest heart pumps.

This innovative technology, which provides temporary right heart mechanical circulatory support, allows PBGMC to provide more comprehensive and advanced care options to patients in South Florida and the Treasure Coast experiencing acute right heart failure. Impella technology enables patients to recover their native heart, which is ideal for a patient’s quality of life and has the potential to save costs to the healthcare system.

Impella RP Flex received U.S. FDA pre-market approval, in October 2022, as safe and effective to treat acute right heart failure or decompensation for up to 14 days following left ventricular assist device implantation, myocardial infarction, heart transplant, or open-heart surgery.

Dr. Nishant Patel, a cardiothoracic surgeon, was on the PBGMC team that used the Impella RP Flex recently. He said, “We are excited to add the Impella RP Flex pump to our armamentarium at PBGMC,” said Dr. Nishant Patel, a cardiothoracic surgeon on the PBGMC team that recently used the Impella RP Flex. “This is a novel device that can help save some of our sickest patients suffering from right heart failure. I’m excited to provide this therapy for our community and keep our hospital at the forefront of innovation in Palm Beach County.”