Largo Medical Center is FIRST in the Tampa Bay Area Offering Patients a New Way to Have Their Failing Heart Monitored FROM HOME
(LARGO, FL ) – Largo Medical Center is the first hospital in the Tampa Bay Area to implant a new miniaturized, wireless monitoring sensor to manage heart failure while a patient is at home. The CardioMEMS Heart Failure System is the first and only FDA-approved monitoring device proven to significantly reduce hospital admissions when used by physicians to manage heart failure. This technologically advanced system features a sensor that is implanted into the pulmonary artery during a non-surgical procedure to directly measure pulmonary artery pressure.
“Increased pulmonary artery pressures appear before weight and blood pressure changes, which are often used as indirect measures of worsening heart failure,” said Merrill Krolick, MD, Interventional Cardiologist, Largo Medical Center. “After the team and I implant one of these hi-tech sensors into one of our patients, it transmits daily readings to me, giving the patient a more personalized and proactive management of their condition, reducing their likelihood of hospitalization.”
Dr. Krolick is the first physician in the area to implant the device. He says the system’s sensor is designed to last the lifetime of the patient and doesn’t require batteries. There is no pain or sensation for the patient during the readings.
“This is great news for our patients. We continue to be able to provide our physicians with options like this tool, enabling them to treat conditions like heart failure quicker than ever before,” said Anthony Degina, Chief Executive Officer, Largo Medical Center. “And that means we are continuing to provide the compassionate care the staff at Largo Medical Center gets truly excited about.”
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.
About Largo Medical Center
Largo Medical Center is a 425-bed statutory teaching hospital serving Pinellas County from three campuses. The hospital provides Atrial Fibrillation Care at the AFib & Heart Rhythm Centers, Bariatric (Surgical Weight Loss) Services at the Florida Bariatric Centers, Behavioral Healthcare, Breast Healthcare at the Florida Breast Institute, Cardiovascular Services, Clinical Research, Emergency Care at 3 campuses, the H2U Health and Wellness program, Hepatobiliary Care at The Hepatobiliary Center, Imaging and Diagnostic Services, Kidney & Liver Transplants at the Transplant Institute of Florida, Limb Saving at the Florida Limb Saving Institute, Orthopedic/Total Joint Care at the Florida Orthopedic Pavilion, Inpatient, Outpatient and Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, Palliative Care, Robotic Surgery, Sports Medicine Care with the Florida Sports Medicine Center, Spine and Neurologic Care at the Florida Spine & Neuro Center, and Wound Care with Hyperbaric Medicine. Largo Medical Center has AOA and ACGME Accredited Graduate Medical Education programs. The hospital is the West Coast Academic Center for NOVA Southeastern University and is affiliated with the USF Morsani College of Medicine. Largo Medical Center is a Certified Advanced Heart Failure Center and an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. We have an accredited AFib Center, Bariatric (Surgical Weight Loss) Program, Breast Center, Cancer Care program, Chest Pain Center with PCI and Inpatient Rehabilitation program. Learn more at LargoMedical.com<http://largomedical.com/>. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
