Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute is First in Charlotte to Treat Heart Failure Patients Using Breakthrough CCM Therapy
Charlotte, NC, September 30, 2021 – Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center today announced it is the only hospital in Charlotte and among the first hospitals in the Carolinas to use cardiac contractility modulation therapy, (CCM) delivered by the Optimizer system, to treat patients diagnosed with heart failure. Heart failure is a progressive condition with debilitating symptoms that can severely limit the quality of life for patients.
CCM therapy is a new, FDA- approved heart failure treatment proven to improve quality of life for patients that are no longer adequately responding to medications to manage symptoms or slow the progression of heart failure. The innovative therapy is the first of its kind intended to improve the contraction of the heart, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to reach the body. CCM therapy delivers precisely timed electrical pulses to the heart that are intended to improve the heart’s ability to contract and can be used in conjunction with medications and other heart failure therapies.
The first patient in Charlotte to receive CCM therapy was treated by Brian Powell, MD, medical director of cardiac electrophysiology for Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, in September of 2021.
“Our mission at Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute is to provide our patients with access to the best care possible, including the latest technology, said Powell. “We work closely with device companies so that whenever technology is in the pipeline, we're often involved in the research studies to help develop, test and optimize the new products to make sure that they can be a great option for patients. Then, once the products are FDA approved, we're often in that front line to deliver these therapies to patients very early on.”
Heart failure, a condition in which the heart slowly weakens and is not able to adequately supply oxygen-rick blood, affects an estimated 6.5 million Americans and nearly 26 million people worldwide. Heart failure patients experience challenging symptoms, including breathlessness, fatigue, confusion and swelling in the legs that make everyday activities challenging and significantly diminish their quality of life. Currently, most heart failure patients are prescribed medications intended to slow the progression of the disease and manage their symptoms. As the condition progresses, these treatments lose their effectiveness and the quality of life for heart failure patients will continue to decline.
Prior to the launch of CCM therapy, heart failure patients had limited options once medications lose their effectiveness, such as a heart transplant or an artificial heart pump. While there are similarities to a pacemaker or a defibrillator, the implant used with CCM is unique in that it delivers electrical impulses through two pacing leads that are timed in a very precise way in a certain part of the heart pumping cycle that helps the heart gradually get stronger.
“This is a less invasive way to potentially help some of the individuals feel better through a device that's smaller than a cell phone and goes just under the skin. Since this is an outpatient procedure, patients can go home the same day,” said Powell.
James Rorie, a 70-year-old resident of Concord, North Carolina, is the first patient in Charlotte to receive CCM therapy. The short recovery time was an unexpected but much appreciated benefit to him.
“I wanted to do something that could not only help me, but could help other patients with heart failure,” said Rorie. “I've been so amazed with this procedure and how great my recovery has been. I’m now able to do things that I haven’t been able to do in years and I’m grateful for the chance to experience life in new way.”
To find out if CCM therapy is right for you, contact us online.