Methodist North Hospital is the first hospital in Memphis and surrounding communities to use the world’s smallest heart pump, the Abiomed Impella 2.5 circulatory support system, which uses a tiny pump to take over the job of circulating blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

“The Impella is potentially life-saving technology for patients whose hearts are so weak that they are unable to pump blood to the vital organs,” said Matthew Smolin, M.D., a cardiologist with Methodist North Hospital and Cardiovascular Physicians of Memphis.

This tiny heart pump is actually smaller than a number 2 pencil eraser. It is inserted within a catheter through a tiny incision in the groin, up through the aorta, and into the left ventricle of the heart. Dr. Smolin describes the Impella as a small turbine that takes the blood from the heart and pumps it into circulation throughout the body. He explains that it augments what the heart is doing and that it gives the heart a chance to rest, relieving the heart of the burden of pumping blood.

This revolutionary device is most appropriate for two types of patients, those who are desperately ill and those whose hearts are too weak to undergo interventional therapies such as stents or angioplasty to open blocked arteries.

“The Impella allows us to buy the time we need to get patients to the catheterization lab and repair arteries. It can also help patients who have a very sick heart gain the time they need for their hearts to heal,” said Dr. Smolin.

Ben Greene was the first patient in the Memphis area to receive the benefit of the Impella. He came to the emergency room at Methodist North Hospital in respiratory distress. Further tests indicated Greene was suffering from congestive heart failure.

“Mr. Greene was desperately ill,” stated Dr. Smolin. “He was hours away from dying.”

Dr. Smolin credits the Impella as being “absolutely life-saving” for Mr. Greene. “In less than five minutes Mr. Greene was under local anesthesia and the Impella was placed inside his heart.”

Mr. Greene’s heart rate had dangerously dropped to pumping blood from the heart at 8% compared to normal rate of 55%. The Impella remained inside Mr. Greene’s heart for about five days and within that time, his heart was able to recover and grow stronger.

“My strength is coming back and I am able to do some things that I was doing before,”
said Mr. Greene.

Dr. Smolin says Mr. Greene’s wife Irma didn’t give up on him even when her husband’s doctors where not so optimistic about his recovery. “I told her the Impella was like a Hail Mary. It was our last long shot. We had this technology available and nothing to lose, but everything to gain.”

Mrs. Greene told Dr. Smolin to do whatever he needed to do. “God blessed my husband. He’s restored him,” said Mrs. Greene. “Thank God for doctors like Dr. Smolin to know about the latest life-saving technology.”