How does the Barostim device treat symptoms of heart failure?
Patrick McCann, MD,Β has often treated patients seeking care for heart failure.
Someone with heart failure may see their quality of life rapidly diminish thanks to symptoms like fatigue, a lack of appetite, problems with memory and more. Because heart failure is affected by and affects so much of the body, treatment for this condition involves a multidisciplinary approach.
“Guideline-directed medical therapy (a form of treatment for heart failure that involves a combination of medications and treatments like CRT, or cardiac resynchronization therapy) significantly improves quantity of life, but there are not really great improvements in exercise capacity or quality of life,” said Dr. McCann.
While some patients benefit from implants like ICDs (defibrillators) to help improve quality of life, only a small number of people facing heart failure will qualify. A large number of heart failure patients currently have to live with a reduced capacity.
One of the most recent technological advancements in treating heart failure is the Barostim device.
The Barostim device, a recent advancement in treating heart failure, offers new hope for heart failure. Rather than simply treating the symptoms after the fact, the Barostim device works to stimulate baroreceptors, the sensors in our bodies that tell the nervous system what to do when it comes to heart, kidney and vascular function. This helps the heart to work more efficiently and relieves symptoms, improving not just quantity of life but helping you regain quality of life, too.
The Barostim procedure is fairly simple, minimally invasive and is outpatient, allowing you to spend time recovering at home in the care of loved ones rather than requiring a lengthy hospitalization.
Dr. McCann noted that implantation of the Barostim device is an outpatient procedure that takes around half an hour to complete, requires only small incisions and no part of the device implanation involves surgery on the heart itself. The Barostim device lets people living with heart failure get back to not just surviving, but thriving in the life they love.
“We’re seeing patients able to live more with less symptoms,” said Dr. McCann. “Patients who aren’t able to be treated using the guideline-directed medical therapy should certainly be considered for Barostim therapy to improve their overall quality of life with heart failure.”
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