Hackensack University Medical Center Cardiac Surgeons Become First in World to Implant FDA-Approved Impella RP Flex Heart Pump in Human Patient

HACKENSACK, NJ – Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center cardiac surgeons Mark Anderson, M.D., chairman of the Department of Cardiac Surgery, and Yuriy Dudiy, M.D., became the first surgeons in the world to implant the recently FDA-approved Impella RP^® Flex with SmartAssist^® in a human patient, November 8, 2022. This first-in-human heart pump implantation was performed to treat right heart failure during a minimally invasive valve replacement procedure. The patient, a 71 year old woman, is doing well and is expected to be released from the hospital soon. 

Impella RP Flex received FDA pre-market approval as being safe and effective to treat acute right heart failure for up to 14 days. It is implanted via the internal jugular vein, which enables patient mobility, and has dual-sensor technology that helps optimize pump management. Impella RP Flex is placed in the heart using a catheter inserted through a small incision in the patient’s neck and pumps blood from the superior vena cava to the pulmonary artery. 

Impella RP Flex is used to treat right heart failure or decompensation following left ventricular assist device implantation, myocardial infarction, heart transplant, or open-heart surgery. 

“Impella RP Flex is a next-generation heart pump technology that can provide temporary right ventricular support for patients who experience right heart failure, allowing the heart to rest and recover,” said Dr. Anderson, who was involved in the initial research for Abiomed’s first right support device, Impella RP, for patients with right ventricular failure requiring short-term hemodynamic support.

“This technology is game-changing, because it provides cardiac surgeons with a new, minimally invasive alternative to surgically implanted right heart support devices that require opening the chest during an invasive sternotomy.”

“Our early adoption of Impella RP Flex demonstrates that our cardiovascular team is at the forefront of using the latest technology to provide minimally invasive cardiovascular care, which improves patient access, outcomes and experience,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, chief executive officer of Hackensack Meridian Health.

“When patients come to Hackensack University Medical Center for cardiovascular care, they have access to some of the world’s most innovative technology,” said Mark Sparta, FACHE, president and chief hospital executive, Hackensack University Medical Center. “Placed in the hands of our expert surgeons, technology such as Impella RP Flex is used to deliver life-saving care — often without the need for an open surgical procedure.”

For information about services, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/services/cardiovascular/.