Ketan Gala, MD, FACC, RPVI, Director of Advanced Heart Failure and Medical Director of Cardiogenic Shock Program, Cooper Heart Institute, and member provider of Cooper and Inspira Cardiac Care, is shown with Robert Granmkowski who received the Barostim Implant.
Cooper University Health Care recently performed the region’s first successful implant of Barostim™ Baroreflex Activation Therapy, the world’s first FDA-approved heart failure device to use neuromodulation—the power of the brain and nervous system—to improve the symptoms of patients with systolic heart failure. This therapy was designed to treat heart failure patients who may not be receiving adequate symptom relief from medications alone.
The procedure was performed on a 67-year-old patient of Ketan Gala, MD, clinical cardiologist and medical director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program at Cooper, and member provider of Cooper and Inspira Cardiac Care. Joseph Lombardi, MD, FACS, head of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular surgery, performed the procedure.
Unlike other heart failure device therapies, Barostim™ contains no hardware in the heart or vascular system. It works by electrically stimulating baroreceptors – natural sensors located in the wall of the carotid artery – that tell the nervous system how to regulate heart, kidney, and vascular function.
The stimulated baroreceptors help reduce the heart’s workload and help it pump more efficiently, helping to restore balance to the autonomic nervous system and improve the symptoms of heart failure. Studies have shown that Barostim™ plus heart failure medications improve exercise capacity, quality of life, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification of heart failure, helping patients return to their daily activities. ¹
“Not only are we proud to be offering Barostim™ at Cooper, but we are excited to be the first hospital in the South Jersey and Philadelphia area to make this cutting-edge treatment option available for heart failure patients,” said Dr. Gala. “Barostim™ has the capability to help reduce heart failure symptoms and improve quality of life. This device offers something for patients who otherwise have limited options, or in some case have no other options. They aren’t just living now but enjoying life. When it comes to heart care, the goal of Cooper and Inspira Cardiac Care is work with our vascular experts and other providers to bring the most advanced care to the region.”
Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. Essentially, the heart can’t keep up with its workload. People with heart failure often experience shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in lower extremities, weakness, and the reduced ability to perform physical activity. In the US, heart failure is estimated to affect 6.9 million adults and is expected to increase by 24% to nearly 8.5 million by 2030 according to researchers. Overall, heart failure is associated with a four-fold increased risk of death and a six to nine times increased risk of sudden cardiac death.
About Cooper and Inspira Cardiac Care
Cooper and Inspira Cardiac Care was formed to bring together the leading cardiology practices and innovative health care systems of two large medical providers: Cooper University Health Care and Inspira Health. The combination of the two makes Cooper and Inspira Cardiac Care the largest cardiac program in South Jersey, providing patients in the region with access to more coordinated cardiac services across the continuum of care. To learn more, visit CooperandInspira.org.
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