Capital Health Offers New Remote Monitoring System for Heart Failure Patients

For people diagnosed with heart failure, traveling to and from frequent appointments can be exhausting and difficult to manage. To help ease the burden for patients and their loved ones, Capital Health now offers a remote heart failure monitoring device that allows patients to enjoy more of their daily activities while their care team closely follows their conditions. Capital Health Cardiology Specialists, part of Capital Health Heart and Vascular Institute, is the first practice in Mercer County to offer the CardioMEMS^TM HF System.

With every heartbeat, blood travels from the right ventricle to the lungs through a large blood vessel called the pulmonary artery (PA). Measuring the blood pressure of this artery gives doctors a clear picture of how hard the heart is working. To measure a heart failure patient's PA pressure remotely with the CardioMEMS^TM HF System, the highly trained team at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists inserts a tiny pressure sensor-about the size of a paper clip-into the pulmonary artery, often as a same-day outpatient procedure. No battery or lead placement is required.

"For appropriate heart failure patients, the system streamlines outpatient monitoring by sending us daily readings to track the heart's volume status," said Dr. David Drucker, medical director of the Structural Heart Program and board certified, fellowship trained interventional cardiologist at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists. "After the PA sensor is placed, patients use a portable reader to securely send us data from the comfort of their homes. The system's customizable settings allow us to identify trends, spot changes that need attention, and quickly contact the patient to make adjustments to their care before symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling get worse."

The system offers a proactive approach to heart failure management that reduces the need for frequent in-office visits, creates a closer connection between patient and care team, and decreases the likelihood of hospitalizations due to heart failure.

For more information about remote heart failure monitoring at Capital Health, or to schedule an appointment with Capital Health Cardiology Specialists, visit capitalhealthcardiology.org.

Capital Health Heart and Vascular Institute offers comprehensive care with a multi-specialty approach highlighted by the most up-to-date techniques and treatment options. With multiple locations throughout the greater Mercer and Bucks county region, the Institute features the most sophisticated technology guided by highly trained clinical experts in medical fields such as cardiac surgery, general and interventional cardiology, nephrology, podiatry, interventional radiology, vascular surgery, and wound management and hyperbaric medicine. For more information, visit capitalheartandvascular.org.