Innovative minimally-invasive therapy is proven to help people with heart failure feel better
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–UNC Medical Center today announced it is among the first hospitals in the United States and the first hospital in the Carolinas to use CCM® therapy, delivered by the Optimizer® system, to treat patients suffering from heart failure. Heart failure is a progressive condition with debilitating symptoms that can severely limit the quality of life for heart failure patients.
CCM therapy, also known as cardiac contractility modulation is a new, FDA-approved heart failure treatment proven to improve quality of life for patients that are no longer adequately responding to medications to manage symptoms or slow the progression of heart failure.1
Delivering Precisely Timed Electrical Pulses to the Heart
The innovative therapy is the first of its kind intended to improve the contraction of the heart, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to reach the body.1 CCM therapy delivers precisely timed electrical pulses to the heart that are intended to improve the heart’s ability to contract and can be used in conjunction with medications and other heart failure therapies.
The first patient treated in the Carolinas with CCM therapy was treated by Dr. Faisal Syed in October of 2020.
“CCM therapy is a therapeutic option for heart failure patients that is intended to help patients feel better, to improve their quality of life, and keep them out of the hospital,” said Dr. Anil Gehi, Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at UNC. “The Optimizer device has recently been FDA approved for use in certain heart failure patients. The device is implanted in a similar way to conventional cardiac pacemakers. For those patients who are not candidates for cardiac resynchronization therapy or who are not to the point of needing a left ventricular assist device, CCM is another device based approach with benefits beyond medical therapy. We are excited to be able to offer this novel therapy to patients at UNC Medical Center.”
Heart failure, a condition in which the heart weakens and is not able to adequately supply oxygen-rich blood, affects an estimated 6.5 million Americans and nearly 26 million people worldwide.2 By 2030, it is expected to affect 8 million Americans.3
Heart failure patients experience debilitating symptoms, including breathlessness, fatigue, confusion and swelling in the legs that make everyday activities challenging and significantly diminish their quality of life. Today, most heart failure patients are prescribed medications which have been shown to significantly reduce death from heart failure and improve symptoms. However, some patients remain significantly symptomatic from heart failure despite optimal medical therapy, and a number of them may qualify for CCM therapy.
To find out if CCM therapy, delivered by the Optimizer system, is right for you or someone you love, call the Heart & Vascular Center referral line at 984-974-2900 and request a referral to Cardiac Electrophysiology at UNC Medical Center or visit www.UNCmedicalcenter.org.
CCM therapy was developed by Impulse Dynamics, based in Mount Laurel, NJ. Visit www.Impulse-Dynamics.Com to learn more about the company.
About UNC Health
UNC Health is an integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. It exists to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina and to provide state-of-the-art patient care.
UNC Health is comprised of UNC Hospitals at Chapel Hill, ranked consistently among the best medical centers in the country; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; Pardee UNC Health Care in Hendersonville; Chatham Hospital in Siler City; Johnston Health in Clayton and Smithfield; UNC Lenoir Health Care in Kinston; Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro; Caldwell UNC Health Care in Lenoir; Nash UNC Health Care in Rocky Mount; UNC Rockingham Health Care in Eden, Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, UNC REX Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County; and the UNC Physicians Network.
For more information, please visit www.unchealth.org
References
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1 Abraham WT, Kuck KH, Goldsmith RL, et al. A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cardiac contractility modulation. JACC Heart Failure. 6(10), 874-883 (2018). |
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2 Savarese G, Lund LH. Global Public Health Burden of Heart Failure. Card Fail Rev. 2017 Apr; 3(1): 7–11. |
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3 Benjamin E.J., Blaha M.J., Chiuve S.E., et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2017 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2017; 135: pp. e146-e603 |
Contacts
Phil Bridges 919-457-6347
phil.bridges@unchealth.unc.edu
