Valley hospital performs groundbreaking procedure on heart failure patient

PHOENIX — HonorHealth performed a groundbreaking procedure on a heart failure patient last month at its Scottsdale Shea Medical Center.

The hospital — which serves more than five million people in the greater Phoenix area — became the first in Arizona and the Southwest to implant the WiSE System, a new treatment for those with advanced heart failure. The treatment received FDA approval in April.

It is a first-of-its-kind leadless system that deliver pacing therapy from within the left ventricle of the heart. In addition, it eliminates anatomical limitations that traditional cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has as well as reduces the risks associated with conventional leads.

“This represents a major leap forward in pacing technology,” HonorHealth’s Network Electrophysiology Director Dr. Rahul Doshi said in a press release. “By delivering pacing therapy from within the heart, we can provide a more natural activation pattern. This gives patients who previously had no options a chance at improved heart function, better quality of life and more time with their loved ones.”

Detail on heart failure patient receiving groundbreaking procedure

Heart failure affects more than six million adults in the United States and cannot be cured. However, advanced therapies such as CRT can help the heart work more efficiently, reduce the symptoms of heart failure and increase survival. The new therapy allows HonorHealth to extend those benefits to more patients.

According to HonorHealth, the procedure places a tiny electrode — powered wirelessly through an ultrasound transmitter implanted under the skin — in the heart’s left ventricle.

The approach is more physiological, expands patients who were not eligible for or responsive to CRT options and mimics the natural electrical activity of the heart.

“This is truly transformative,” HonorHealth Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Zain Khalpey said. “By uniting surgical innovation with electrophysiological expertise, we’re not only advancing care but also reaffirming HonorHealth’s leadership in treating advanced heart failure here in Arizona and across the Southwest.”

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