Lankenau Heart Institute at Bryn Mawr Hospital is first in Pennsylvania to treat heart failure patients using breakthrough CCM therapy
Innovative minimally-invasive therapy is proven to help people with heart failure feel better
Lankenau Heart Institute at Bryn Mawr Hospital, part of Main Line Health, is among the first in the United States and the only in Pennsylvania to use CCM™ (cardiac contractility modulation) therapy, delivered by the Optimizer® Smart system, to treat patients suffering from heart failure. Heart failure is a progressive condition with debilitating symptoms that can severely limit the quality of life for heart failure patients. The first patient implant was performed by Sheetal Chandhok, MD, electrophysiologist, in collaboration with Christopher Droogan, DO, heart failure cardiologist, both with Lankenau Heart Institute.
CCM therapy is a new, FDA-approved treatment that works differently than medications to help people with heart failure feel better. The approach is proven to improve the quality of life for patients that are no longer adequately responding to medications to manage symptoms or slow the progression of heart failure. The innovative pacing-based therapy is the first of its kind intended to improve the contraction of the heart, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to reach the body. CCM therapy sends precisely timed electrical pulses to the heart that are intended to improve the heart’s ability to contract and can be used in conjunction with medications and other heart failure therapies.
“We are thrilled to provide CCM therapy to our patients because of the potentially life-changing benefits,” says Dr. Chandhok. “Medications are not always enough to help slow the progression of heart failure and improve the quality of life for patients. CCM therapy is a breakthrough treatment option that gives reason for many people suffering from heart failure to feel hopeful again. It has shown the potential of improving heart failure and reducing hospitalizations.”
Heart failure, a condition in which the heart slowly weakens and is not able to adequately supply oxygen-rich blood, affects an estimated 6.5 million Americans. Heart failure patients often experience symptoms that can significantly diminish their quality of life, such as breathlessness, fatigue, confusion and swelling in the legs that make everyday activities challenging. Today, most heart failure patients are prescribed medications intended to slow the progression of the disease and manage their symptoms. As the condition progresses, these treatments lose their effectiveness and the quality of life for heart failure patients will continue to decline.
“Many people suffering from heart failure have few effective options to help them feel better,” says Dr. Droogan, who serves as the medical director of the Heart Failure Program at Main Line Health. “I’m thankful that we are able to offer CCM therapy, as this unique treatment option is designed to improve the heart’s ability to contract and improve patients’ symptoms of shortness of breath and lack of energy.”
CCM therapy may be an appropriate option for up to 70-percent of NYHA Class III (a classification of heart symptoms) heart failure patients who continue to experience symptoms despite taking the optimal heart failure medications for their condition. CCM therapy was developed by Impulse Dynamics, based in Mount Laurel, N.J. Visit impulse-dynamics.com to learn more about the company.
About Main Line Health
Main Line Health® is a not-for-profit health system serving the greater Philadelphia region. The System comprises five hospitals, seven health centers, more than 160 outpatient and physician practice locations, over 14,500 employees and more than 2,200 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers.
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health includes four of the region’s most respected acute care hospitals — Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital — as well as Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, one of the nation’s premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine. The System also includes Mirmont Treatment Center, which provides treatment and support for substance use disorders; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice; Main Line HealthCare, its employed multispecialty physician network; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a leading biomedical research organization; and Main Line Health Centers offering primary and specialty care, lab, radiology and other outpatient services in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Devon, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square.
Main Line Health brings together physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, researchers and other healthcare professionals across a broad network of inpatient, outpatient, home-based and community-based services. Through this integrated approach, the System delivers high-quality, comprehensive care across the continuum — from primary care and preventive services to complex specialty, surgical, trauma, emergency, rehabilitative, behavioral health, home care and hospice services — with a focus on making care accessible in the communities where people live and work.
Main Line Health also collaborates with leading clinical partners to expand access to specialized care. Through its affiliation with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, pediatric care is provided at select Main Line Health locations, including neonatal intensive care units at its acute care hospitals and Bryn Mawr Hospital’s Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. Jefferson Health neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists also provide 24/7 specialized care, including neurointervention and lifesaving stroke care.
About Lankenau Heart Institute
Lankenau Heart Institute is Main Line Health’s premier comprehensive cardiovascular program, bringing together cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and advanced practice providers across the System’s four acute care hospitals: Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital. Through a coordinated approach, the Institute offers a full continuum of high-quality cardiovascular care — from prevention and diagnostics to clinical trials, advanced treatments and rehabilitation — with a commitment to excellence in outcomes and patient experience.
A nationally recognized leader in innovation and exceptional clinical outcomes, Lankenau Heart Institute is at the forefront of minimally invasive and transcatheter procedures for coronary revascularization, valve repair and replacement, complex aortic surgery and the treatment of advanced heart failure and arrhythmias. Its pioneering work in robotic-assisted and beating-heart techniques and minimally invasive and robotic valve repair continues to shape the future of cardiovascular care. With a robust and influential presence in national clinical trials, its physicians regularly participate in groundbreaking research focused on new therapies, technologies and procedures, primarily through less invasive approaches.