The new device, which is implanted during a simple 45-minute operation, will enable more fast interventions, helping to keep people healthy for longer and preventing billions of pounds worth of hospital admissions.
A patient with heart failure has become the first in the United Kingdom to receive an early warning sensor the size of a pen cap that informs doctors if their condition worsens.
During trials at University Hospital Southampton (UHS), Hampshire, consultant cardiologists Dr. Andrew Flett and Dr. Peter Cowburn pioneered the process for fitting the FIRE1 System.
Their work is a component of a cutting-edge international study on the application of novel technology.
The device measures fluid levels in the body, with elevated amounts indicating deteriorating heart failure.
A tiny catheter put into a vein at the top of the leg implants it in a 45-minute operation.
It’s squeezed upon entry to drive it into the body’s largest vein, the inferior vena cava (IVC). Which is located in the abdomen and returns oxygen-depleted blood to the heart.
The sensor is then stretched to its maximum size and continually measures the diameter of the IVC. Which indicates the body’s fluid volume.
High concentrations can raise the risk of breathing difficulties and fluid accumulation in the lungs, which may necessitate emergency hospitalization.
After surgery, patients are given a detection belt to wear across the stomach for one to two minutes every day. Which provides radiofrequency energy to the implanted sensor.
The UHS heart failure team receives data from patients’ homes daily to identify early warning signs. So that they can respond before the patient’s condition deteriorates dramatically.
It is projected that over 900,000 people in the United Kingdom are living with heart failure, and this figure is expected to increase due to an aging population, more effective treatments, and increased survival rates after a heart attack.
Hospitalizations for heart failure already cost the NHS $2 billion annually.
Dr. Flett stated, “This novel new device has the potential to improve patient safety and results in the management of patients with chronic heart failure, and we are thrilled to be the first facility in the United Kingdom to implant it as part of this ground-breaking study.”
“We have successfully implanted the device in a second patient, and data is already being relayed so that we may respond early to reduce hospital visits and keep patients healthy for longer.
“Heart failure is a big load on the NHS. Therefore innovative developments such as this could assist to alleviate that burden.”
He continued, “It is anticipated that one in five individuals may get heart failure, and earlier intervention when patients begin to deteriorate can make a significant impact; it is hoped that this new FIRE1 device will accomplish exactly that.”
This is an important new development for those who suffer from this illness.
