Abrazo Arrowhead offering option for heart failure treatment

Abrazo Arrowhead Campus is now offering the Optimizer Smart Mini System for treating patients experiencing moderate to severe congestive heart failure symptoms. Similar to a pacemaker, the device delivers precisely timed electric pulses called Cardiac Contractility Modulation (CCM) therapy.

After implantation of the device, the physician custom-programs and activates the device for the patient. The device then begins sending electrical pulses to the heart muscle for a total of 5-7 hours a day, in one-hour treatments separated by regular intervals. The patient charges the device one hour per week using an external charger. The Optimizer device is expected to last at least 20 years without replacement.

“The Optimizer system includes an implantable stimulation device similar in size to a pacemaker with an external charging station. The device is implanted in a small pocket under the skin of the upper chest, along with commercially available pacemaker leads that are placed in the heart’s right ventricular septum, while the patient is under light sedation,” explained Dr. Andrew Kaplan, an electrophysiologist on the medical staff at Abrazo Arrowhead Campus.

“The implant treats heart failure in a way that helps to restore functionality and vitality to patients. The procedure doesn’t require open-heart surgery and most patients can return home soon after the implant is complete. Plus, most patients are able to return to everyday activities shortly after the procedure,” noted Dr. Kaplan.

For more information about cardiovascular services at Abrazo Health hospitals, to take a free health risk assessment or to find a doctor, visit AbrazoHealth.com.