December 3, 2020
BATON ROUGE- Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) interventional cardiologists Drs. Niksad Abraham and Garland Green are the first in Baton Rouge to perform a percutaneous Impella implant through a new axillary artery approach near the shoulder. The procedure took place on November 24 at Baton Rouge General Medical Center.
Impella AccessImpella, the world’s smallest heart pump, temporarily assists with the pumping function of a heart during a high-risk coronary intervention. The difference in this new procedure is that the access point is near the shoulder as opposed to the groin. It is estimated that less than one percent of interventional cardiologists have developed the meticulous skill set to use this new access point, which offers many benefits and advantages to the patient.
“The Impella is traditionally implanted through the femoral artery of the groin,” explained Dr. Niksad Abraham. “But due to vascular disease the legs, this can be difficult or impossible for some patients, which makes this new access point a breakthrough for patients who need it.”