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July 7, 2009

Memorial’s Dr. McPike First in Metro East to
Use New Technology to Help Heart Patients

(Belleville, Illinois) Dr. James McPike, a cardiologist and a member of Memorial Hospital’s medical staff is using an innovative technology to treat patients with heart failure. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) helps restore normal heart function to patients, and through the use of the Medtronic Attain StarFix® lead, surgery outcomes are improving. This device is being used exclusively at Memorial by Dr. McPike, who is the only board certified electrophysiologist in the metro east.

Patients who have experienced heart failure are often plagued by a variety of long-term symptoms. Because the condition creates a reduction in the blood flow to a patient’s brain, kidneys and other organs, it is common for patients to experience mild to severe symptoms including shortness of breath, fluid buildup, and lack of energy. These symptoms often result in hospitalization and require a patient to undergo CRT therapy.

CRT therapy involves administering electronic pulses through the left and right ventricles of the heart, causing them to contract simultaneously. The left ventricle is more complex, requiring a lead, or electronic guide, to be positioned outside the heart wall. Securing a stable lead is one of the greatest obstacles cardiologists face when performing CRT therapy. The Attain StarFix® lead is flexible and allows physicians to achieve stable placement in a variety of vein sizes and anatomies.

“The standard leads were created with a hook or corkscrew shape, which do not work well in the coronary sinus system. Prior to this advancement, standard leads would often dislodge, requiring additional surgeries and inconvenience for patients,” said Dr. McPike. “They are now made with spokes that hold the lead securely in position.” The Medtronic StarFix® lead was first used at Memorial in February of 2009. The patient is still doing very well.

Attain StarFix® leads have a 94.4 percent success rate, compared with industry rates as low as 70 percent. The device prevents dislodgement, which can cause heart failure symptoms to increase and lead to hospitalization. Dislodgement often results in a decrease in the device’s longevity and the need for additional procedures to correct faulty placement.

For more information on the StarFix® lead, contact Dr. McPike at 618-233-0833.

Breaking news: The U.S. Congress has passed its resolutions and October will henceforth be known as Sudden Cardiac Awareness Month.  Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops working and no blood can be pumped to the rest of the body. In essence, the heart's electrical system malfunctions. It occurs abruptly and without warning, and two-thirds of SCA deaths occur without any prior indications of heart disease. Ninety-five percent of those who experience SCA die because they do not receive life-saving defibrillation within four to six minutes, before brain and permanent death start to occur.

      In related news, according to a recent national poll conducted by the Heart Rhythm Society, 4 out of 5 Americans vastly underestimate the severity of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), which causes more than 250,000 deaths each year. In response to these startling statistics, the Society is calling attention to the need for more public education and research, as well as wider access to life-saving SCA treatments

Heart Rhythm Society™ Sanctions First SCA Awareness Month