SEQUOIA HOSPITAL FIRST ON WEST COAST TO USE WIRELESS CARDIAC TECHNOLOGY
Gregory Engel, MD Uses Latest in Wireless Implantable Cardiac Device
REDWOOD CITY, CA - Sept 8, 2008 – Sequoia Hospital announced today that Gregory Engel, MD, leading Bay Area cardiologist, is the first in California and first on the West Coast to use the latest in implantable cardiac device technology to treat patients who suffer from irregular heart beats. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) from the Medtronic Vision 3D™ portfolio were recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address the needs of patients with arrhythmias (too fast or too slow heartbeats), heart failure, and those at risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which is when the heart stops beating altogether.
“This new generation of ICDs allows me to better customize device treatments based on my patients’ individual needs,” said Gregory Engel, MD. “Advancements in technology translate into improvements in the quality of life for all my patients.”
“Sequoia Hospital is proud to be first in yet another medical advancement,” said Glenna Vaskelis, hospital president. “State-of-the-art care, new technologies, robotic surgery, and now wireless cardiac devices allow Sequoia to keep our community healthy and strong for future generations.”
Wireless technology allows the “stopwatch" size cardiac implant to send information to doctors via the Internet when the patient is near a transmitter in their home, allowing constant monitoring of the patient’s condition. This new technology allows the device to check itself, as well as the patient, transmitting both patient and device information to doctors. Previous implants required check-ups every three to six months to assess how the device was operating. With the new technology patients have fewer doctor visits and lower healthcare costs because they no longer need an office visit simply to check the device. Instead, patients have more freedom and a better quality of life.
About Cardiac Device Therapy
Implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices are designed to treat a variety of problems that stem from a faulty electrical system in the heart. A healthy heart normally beats between 75 to 100 times a minute. Heart beats that are too fast (tachycardia - usually more than 100 beats per minute and as many as 300 beats per minute) or too slow (bradycardia – less than 60 beats per minute) can result in dizziness, fainting, extreme tiredness and shortness of breath. Other disorders include heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
The devices are tiny, battery-powered computers about the size of a pocket watch. They are implanted under the skin, generally on the left side of the chest near the collarbone, and connected to the heart via leads. These tiny wires are inserted into the chambers of the heart through blood vessels for two purposes: to carry information signals from the heart to the device, and to carry electrical impulses from the device to the heart. The third part of the implantable device system is a programmer, an external computer located in the doctor’s office or clinic that is used to program the heart device, as well as retrieve information from the device about the patient’s condition and device status that will assist the doctor in treating the disorder.
About Sequoia Hospital
Sequoia Hospital is an accredited, not-for-profit community hospital providing innovative and exceptional healthcare to Bay Area residents. Sequoia, ranked among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide, is a recipient of the 2008 Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award TM, based on a study issued by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings company. Offering a full range of medical, surgical and specialty programs, Sequoia also ranks in the top percentile of hospitals nationwide for patient satisfaction. “Best in California for Coronary Interventional Procedures” in 2008 is another HealthGrades rating for Sequoia Hospital, which also received the HealthGrades 2008 Cardiac Care Excellence Award and 2008 Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award. To learn more, please visit: www.SequoiaHospital.org
