Cincinnati (June 22, 2015) – The Christ Hospital Health Network is the first facility in the region to successfully implant a new miniaturized, wireless sensor in a heart failure patient. The CardioMEMS HF System is the first and only FDA-approved heart failure monitoring device that has been proven to significantly reduce hospital admissions when used by physicians to manage heart failure. The CardioMEMS HF System also allows physicians to monitor a patient from home. Until now, this data would only be available with an invasive cardiac procedure called a right heart catheterization.

The CardioMEMS HF System features a sensor that is implanted in the pulmonary artery during a one-time, non-surgical procedure to directly measure pressures. Once implanted, the new system allows patients to transmit daily sensor readings from their homes to their health care providers allowing for personalized and proactive management to reduce the likelihood of hospitalization.  Increased pulmonary artery pressures appear before weight and blood pressure changes, which are currently used as indirect measures of worsening heart failure status.

“Our heart failure team always aims to advance the level of care available in the region and this is just one more example of our pursuit to improve outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions for our heart failure patients,” said Eugene Chung, MD, Director of Heart Failure for both the Ohio Heart and Vascular Center and The Christ Hospital Lindner Center for Research and Education, who performed the procedure. “We’ve always focused on involving patients manage their heart failure and CardioMEMS is a groundbreaking resource taking that emphasis to the next level.”

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 5.1 million Americans have heart failure, with 670,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Patients with heart failure are frequently hospitalized, have a reduced quality of life and face a higher risk of death.

The CardioMEMS sensor is designed to last the lifetime of the patient and doesn’t require batteries. Once implanted, the wireless sensor sends pressure readings to an external patient electronic system. There is no pain or sensation for the patient during the readings. The CardioMEMS HF System allows the patients to transmit critical information about their heart failure status to a clinician on a regular basis, without the need for additional clinic or hospital visits. This provides clinicians with the ability to detect worsening heart failure sooner and adjust treatment to reduce the likelihood that the patient will need to be hospitalized.

Data from the CHAMPION clinical trial showed that the CardioMEMS technology reduces heart failure hospital admissions by up to 37 percent in heart failure patients who had been hospitalized for heart failure in the previous 12 months. Results demonstrated a statistically significant 28 percent reduction in the rate of heart failure hospitalizations at six months, and 37 percent reduction in heart failure hospitalizations during an average follow-up duration of 15 months.

Roughly 1.4 million patients in the U.S. have advanced heart failure, and historically these patients account for nearly half of all heart failure hospitalizations. According to the American Heart Association, the estimated direct and indirect cost of heart failure in the U.S. for 2012 was $31 billion and that number is expected to more than double by 2030.

“The Christ Hospital Health Network is committed to improving patient care and investing in innovative medical technology such as the CardioMEMS HF System,” said Michael Schwebler, Executive Director of Heart and Vascular Services. “With this technology physicians and patients can stay in closer communication without a hospital stay or office visit, achieving not only better health outcomes, but also financial savings for the patients as well.”

The Christ Hospital offers the most advanced treatments to heart failure patients in the Tristate.  The program features a multidisciplinary team of heart failure specialists, a dedicated heart failure center and recognition by The American Heart Association as a Gold Level Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure Quality Improvement Award for providing the highest standard of care for heart failure patients.  For more information, visit www.TheChristHospital.com/Heart or call 513-206-1180.

The CardioMEMS HF System, from global medical device manufacturer St. Jude Medical, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for commercial use in the U.S. For more information, visit www.heartfailureanswers.com. 

About The Christ Hospital Health Network: The Christ Hospital Health Network is a regional care system comprised of The Christ Hospital and more than 100 outpatient/physician locations in the Greater Cincinnati area.  Our mission is to improve the health of our community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes, affordable care and the finest experiences. Led by the region’s Most Preferred hospital (National Research Corporation), the network is dedicated to transforming care by delivering integrated, individualized healthcare and wellness services through its comprehensive physician network and advanced specialty service. For more than 125 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to all those we serve.