Ascension St. John Cardiologist Receives Worldwide Recognition

DETROIT, MI — A cardiologist at Ascension St. John in Detroit has become the first to treat two patients with the world's smallest heart pump, the hospital announced Monday.

Dr. Amir Kaki, an interventional cardiologist and director of mechanical circulatory support at Ascension St. John, recently became the first to treat two patients with the Impella ECP expandable percutaneous heart pump, which measures just 3 millimeters in diameter, the hospital said.

"Ascension St. John Hospital is pleased to be the heart center leading this patient milestone as part of the US Food and Drug Administration's early feasibility study of the smallest heart pump in the world," Kaki said. "This new heart pump technology allows treatment for patients who may have otherwise gone untreated due to the larger size of previous-generation heart pumps. This new technology allows for a less invasive approach which may ultimately lead to better healing and recovery."

The Impella ECP takes over the pumping function of the heart allowing physicians to perform procedures such as angioplasty or stenting, according to a news release. The heart pump remains on until the procedure is complete and, once the physician deems it appropriate, the heart pump is turned off and removed.

“This small-bore heart pump has tremendous potential to broaden the population that can be served and improve the standard of care in interventional cardiology,” said Dr. Theodore Schreiber, the director of cardiovascular services at Ascension Michigan Macomb-Oakland Hospital, who was one of the physicians who participated in the first patient procedure.

According to Kaki, both patients are out of the hospital and are doing well at home with their families.

The goal of the FDA early feasibility study is successful delivery, initiation and maintenance of adequate hemodynamic support and a composite rate of major device-related adverse events during high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention.

If at least five U.S. patients who require revascularization are treated successfully, enrollment will be expanded to additional patients, pending FDA approval, the hospital said.