December 09, 2011
Mark Seifert, MD, an electrophysiologist at John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital, was the first in the Phoenix area to use the Unify Quadra® CRT-D and Quartet® LV Lead, a new technology that provides better care to patients suffering from heart failure.
John C. Lincoln Hospitals are the first in Arizona to earn fully accreditation as
heart failure centers, signaling that our hospitals meet or exceed national standards of care for congestive heart failure patients.
On Thursday, Dec. 8, Dr. Seifert successfully implanted the device that regulates a heart beat on a male patient.
The newly FDA-approved technology was released to the market by St. Jude Medical. It's the first with quadripolar technology for the next generation of pacemakers and defibrillators to deliver Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT).
The technology has four electrodes and 10 pacing vectors for the heart instead of a bipolar lead with two electrodes and fewer options.
As heart failure progresses in a patient, the heart weakens and loses its ability to pump enough blood. By regulating the heart beat, the patient's quality of life improves and the need for hospital admissions is reduced. The Unify Quadra CRT-D and Quartet LV Lead creates more options to implant the device in a stable way and to program the device for the particular patient's needs. Timed electrical pulses mimic the heart's natural pumping function. The procedure time is decreased as well.
"More than 23 million people worldwide suffer from congestive heart failure," Dr. Seifert said. "This new technology will provide better results for our patients and reduce the need for subsequent procedures to reposition leads, reprogram or replace the device. At John C. Lincoln, we are committed to providing superior patient care combined with the best technology, and we are proud to be the first hospital in the Phoenix area to offer this option."
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