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What is CardioMEMS? Here’s a Heart-Failure Patient’s Success

November 18, 2020

“This is going to be my first year hunting again. I’m trying to get used to having a life like I used to have – and we’re ready to go!” ~ Jim Mason

Jim Mason, a 67-year-old heart failure patient was faced with repeat hospitalizations. For many heart failure patients, this routine makes it difficult to manage the disease while living a normal life.

Jim’s cardiologist, Dr. Howard L. Haronian, medical director of the Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute, saw Mason as the perfect candidate for the CardioMEMS procedure.

Listen to Jim and Dr. Haronian describe life before and after CardioMEMS:

During the outpatient procedure, a battery-free sensor is implanted into the patient’s pulmonary artery to help monitor the pressure from the artery. Once implanted, heart failure patients spend a few minutes each day at home lying on a special pillow that acts as an antenna to read the implanted sensor. The pillow then transmits the pressure readings through a secure website, where it is reviewed by the patient’s cardiology team.

 

“Medicine still comes down to clinical interaction and that personal relationship. The quick check-ins give us that connection. It’s personal – it’s powerful.” ~ Dr. Howard Haronian

The CardioMEMS procedure is currently performed at Backus Hospital, The Hospital of Central Connecticut, Hartford Hospital and St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

Learn more about the CardioMEMS procedure at Hartford HealthCare