A cutting-edge procedure to implant an early warning device into a heart failure patient has been carried out for the first time in the UK during trials, the sensor, which is the size of a pen lid, being inserted using a small catheter.
The procedure, which enables the device to emit an alert if the person’s condition deteriorates, is part of an international research study that intends to prove this new way of monitoring and treating heart failure patients is safe and effective, reports The Independent.
Consultant cardiologists Dr Andrew Flett and Dr Peter Cowburn pioneered the procedure to fit the FIRE1 System during trials at University Hospital Southampton (UHS), Hampshire.
“The unique technology is a sensor about the size of a pen lid designed to monitor the amount of fluid in the body – elevated levels can give an indication of worsening heart failure,” said a spokesman for UHS.
“The device is implanted into the inferior vena cava (IVC) – the body’s largest vein – located in the abdomen, which carries oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart. It works by continuously measuring the size of the IVC giving a marker of the amount of fluid in the body.
“High levels can increase the risk of breathing difficulties and a build-up of fluid in the lungs which can lead to an emergency hospital admission.”
The device is inserted during a simple 45-minute procedure using a small catheter that’s placed in a vein at the top of the leg. It is collapsed on entry so it can be pushed up into the IVC where it expands to its full size.
After surgery patients are provided with an external detection belt worn across the abdomen for one to two minutes a day, which powers the implanted sensor using radiofrequency energy.
Data are sent from a patient’s home to the heart failure team at UHS daily to alert the team to early warning signs so they can intervene before any condition worsens significantly.
Flett said: “This innovative device has the potential to improve patient safety and outcomes in the management of those with chronic heart failure, and we are delighted to be the first site in the UK to implant this as part of this ground-breaking study.
“We have now successfully implanted a second patient with the device and data are already being transmitted, which we look forward to receiving so we can intervene earlier to help reduce hospital visits and keep patients well for longer.”
It’s estimated that one in five people will develop heart failure, he added, “and earlier intervention when patients start deteriorating can make a huge difference”.
“The hope is that this new FIRE1 device will do just that.”
FIRE1 has successfully completed its early phase of clinical trials and is now expanding its study to evaluate the feasibility and safety of implanting the system in more heart failure patients.
UHS admits 700 patients with the condition every year, with 900 000 people estimated to be living with heart failure in the UK, costing the NHS £2bn per annum.
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