It’s estimated that nearly 7 million Americans are living with heart failure, a chronic condition that buts them at a higher risk for a cardiac event or hospitalization. For that reason, the Avera Heart Hospital has continued to grow its heart failure clinic and look for newer treatments and therapies for these vulnerable patients.
Managing Chronic Heart Disease
For the last 14 years, Gary Lane has been living with heart failure.
“At the time I really didn't know what it was exactly as far as how serious it was going to be for me. I didn't feel very bad, but I was just diagnosed with it,” said Lane.
And for the most of those years, his medications and habits kept the disease in check, or so he thought.
“About a year ago now I was in pretty bad shape. I was having a bad episode, really bad episode, the worst I'd ever had. I'd seen my regular doctors and finally my heart doctor in Sioux Falls recommended me to go see Dr. Jonsson,” said Lane.
“Heart failure is a chronic progressive disease where the heart pumping function is reduced or heart is stiff and people retain fluid and they feel short of breath. Overall it's a progressive disease and eventually a lethal disease with poor prognosis,” said Orvar Jonsson, MD, cardiologist and heart failure specialist with North Central Heart.
Minimally Invasive Treatment Option
Because the heart isn’t pumping like it should, that means fewer impulse messages are sent to the brain — which puts it and the heart into a fight-or-flight response. That results in adrenaline being released and causes the heart to work even harder. But thankfully, Dr. Jonsson’s team has a new tool to combat heart failure.
“It's a stimulator, so it causes electrical stimulation in the baroreceptors in the neck that will increase these messages to the brain that will then slow down the adrenaline and make it easier for the heart to pump and overall make life easier on the heart,” said Dr. Jonsson.
Similar to how a pacemaker keeps a heart’s rhythm in check, this implanted device helps regulate the connection between heart and mind.
“But it is not inside the vessel like a pacemaker, so it's not in the heart. It sits in tissue outside the vessels. So with that, there's less risk of clotting or infection. And it continuously stimulates. It's not like a backup device, but actually makes people feel better,” said Dr. Jonsson.
Improved Quality of Life
People like Gary, who was among the first in the region to get this innovative treatment option. Meaning he has plenty to look forward to.
“Last year at this time I was about ready to consider the fact that I probably wasn't going to make it. But now I have hope for the future. My wife has hope, so it's a really good thing. And he did a very good job of turning me around,” said Lane.
Every patient’s case is a little different and may not be eligible for this new treatment, but it’s just another tool that can be used to help manage and treat cardiac disease.
Learn more about care for heart failure and cardiology specialties
