Palm Beach Gardens, FL – Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center (PBGMC) is the first hospital in South Florida to treat a patient with Impella RP Flex with SmartAssist, one of the world’s smallest heart pumps.

This innovative technology, which provides temporary right heart mechanical circulatory support, allows PBGMC to provide more comprehensive and advanced care options to patients in South Florida and the Treasure Coast experiencing acute right heart failure. Impella technology enables patients to recover their native heart, which is ideal for a patient’s quality of life and has the potential to save costs to the healthcare system.

Impella RP Flex received U.S. FDA pre-market approval in October 2022 as safe and effective to treat acute right heart failure or decompensation for up to 14 days following left ventricular assist device implantation, myocardial infarction, heart transplant or open-heart surgery. Impella RP Flex is implanted via the internal jugular (IJ) vein, which enables patient mobility, and its dual-sensor technology is designed to optimize patient management.

Dr. Nishant Patel, a cardiothoracic surgeon, was on the PBGMC team that used the Impella RP Flex recently. He said, “We are excited to add the Impella RP Flex pump to our armamentarium at PBGMC. This is a novel device that can help save some of our sickest patients suffering from right heart failure. I’m excited to provide this therapy for our community and keep our hospital at the forefront of innovation in Palm Beach County.”

More than 250,000 patients globally have benefited from Impella heart pump support. The Impella platform of products were developed by Abiomed, Inc., based in Danvers, Massachusetts.