USA Health performs its first Barostim implant for heart failure 

USA Health University Hospital has performed its first Barostim implant procedure, providing an exciting new treatment option to relieve symptoms in patients living with heart failure.

W. Johnson Hardy III, M.D., a fellowship-trained vascular surgeon at USA Health, performed the procedure Tuesday, Sept. 15, at USA Health University Hospital. The procedure involved implanting a small device beneath the skin of the patient’s chest and neck to help manage symptoms associated with symptomatic systolic heart failure.

“The addition of Barostim is game changing,” Hardy said.  “This is without question one of the most exciting advances to date in the management of symptomatic heart failure, and from a patient perspective, it’s one of the most impactful surgeries that we offer.  Performing these procedures is critical to USA Health’s mission of helping people across south Alabama and the Gulf Coast lead longer, better lives.”

Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart cannot pump blood as effectively as it should. As the condition progresses, the body can respond by activating its natural “fight-or-flight” stress response, causing the heart to work harder and contributing to symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling.  This contributes to severely diminished quality of life for heart failure patients, making it difficult to complete such routine daily tasks as grocery shopping or walking to the mailbox.

"We are lucky, these days, that patients with heart failure have access to many therapies that can improve symptoms and prolong life," said Luanda Grazette, M.D, MPH, FACC, a fellowship-trained cardiologist and division chief of cardiology at USA Health. "Barostim is a standout as a treatment because it offers functional gains and improvements in exercise tolerance above and beyond conventional heart failure medications and devices.  It is definitely one of the most effective therapies for delivering improved quality of life in heart failure patients."

Barostim is designed to help counter that “fight-or-flight" response by using neuromodulation – the power of the brain and nervous system – to improve symptoms for patients.

Unlike other heart failure device therapies, Barostim contains no hardware in the heart or blood vessels. It works by electrically stimulating special receptors that tell the nervous system how to regulate heart, kidney and vascular function. Together, these effects 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.

Barostim plus heart failure medications have been shown to improve activity level and quality of life, helping patients successfully return to the lifestyle they want.

USA Health offers a comprehensive program for heart care, including cardiology, vascular surgery and cardiothoracic surgery, backed by the only extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for advanced life support in the region.