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Yakima, WA (December 11, 2018) - According to the American Heart Association and the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, there are an estimated 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests a year. The survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is low and it is vital to get to a medical center with a strong cardiac program and experienced heart surgeon as soon as possible. Astria Regional Medical Center’s cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Roberto Amado-Cattaneo, recently saved a life by placing the first TandemHeart device ever done in the Yakima Valley. The device, known as TandemHeart, (artificial pump to improve blood flow to the body) is new technology for high risk heart intervention.
Astria Regional Medical Center’s open heart surgeon, Dr. Roberto Amado-Cattaneo, recently demonstrated why such options are so important.
Recently, a critically-ill patient was brought by ambulance to Astria Regional Medical Center in Yakima, providing the valley’s only open heart surgery program. The patient had suffered a large heart attack, complicated with heart failure and a hole in his heart. Immediate care was necessary providing lifesaving measures. Dr. Amado-Cattaneo performed heart surgery placing a special TandemHeart device that was ready for just such an emergency. As a seasoned heart surgeon living and working in Yakima, Dr. Amado-Cattaneo was able to utilize this leading-edge technology to improve the patient’s chance of survival. Dr. Amado-Cattaneo’s surgical experience and expertise allowed him to readily apply this advanced technology right here in Yakima and to stabilize the patient’s medical condition increasing the patient’s chance of survival.
The device then remains in place until heart recovery occurs or as a bridge to transplant.
“The device temporarily bypasses the heart” said Dr. Amado-Cattaneo. “It does the work that the heart would normally do on its own. It helped me to save the patient’s life.” The device then remains in place until heart recovery occurs or as a bridge to transplant.
Luckily for this patient, it allowed Dr. Amado-Cattaneo and the Astria Regional Medical Center cardiac team to stabilize the patient until it was possible to airlift them to a hospital with a transplant program.
Posted December 11, 2018