Congestive heart failure (CHF) is an area of special care at WVU Medicine. We provide IV inotropic therapy to stable outpatients with advanced heart failure, with a goal of improving functional level and avoiding hospitalization.
Many patients receive treatment through medication. The treatments are especially useful for patients who are at the maximum dosage of other heart drugs, people awaiting a heart transplant, or people who have a heart muscle disease. The treatment also helps patients breathe more easily.
It is estimated that patients who monitor their CHF with the CardioMEMS system may reduce their risk for sudden hospital readmission by almost 37 percent. WVU Medicine is designated as one of 16 national sites of excellence by the device manufacturer, and we are the only site in West Virginia currently offering this procedure. WVU Heart and Vascular Institute physicians are proud to be able to offer this technology to our patients.
Another option for the intractable angina patient who fails to respond to conventional treatment is a non-invasive technique called Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP). This therapy involves placing blood pressure cuffs on the lower extremities to force blood from the heart into the vessels.
Recently Added
Video
Luke Marone, MD, WVU Heart and Vascular Institute Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, describes how HVI vascular surgeons evaluate and treat each individual to best preserve limb function for the patient’s lifetime.