Ventricular Assist Devices: Impella

“There’s an emergent case coming for impella placement.”

Impella?  I’ve read about these devices and I’m familiar with managing patients on LVADs as well as providing anesthesia for LVAD placement.  But, I’ve never done an Impella on a critically unstable patient.

YouTube video describing the purpose and placement of the Impella

Cath Lab Digest: Overview of Impella 5.0

Anesthesia & Analgesia; January 2012. Echo rounds: The Use of TEE for Confirmation of Appropriate Impella 5.0 Device Placement.

From A&A Echo Rounds

 YouTube video similar to our axillary artery conduit (we had to go left sided bc of a prior AICD in the patient’s right chest) for Impella 5.0

JCVA, June 2010. Review Articles: Percutaneous LVAD: Clinical Uses, Future Applications, and Anesthetic Considerations.