CardioHelp saves local man’s life
David Levy is standing tall today after two heart attacks and he can thank not only his doctors, but also a small machine, for saving his life. Back in January he admitted himself to Beebe Healthcare for what he thought were gas pains.
47 ABC spoke with Levy and he tells us, “I registered in and that’s all I remember. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here today.”
While in the hospital overnight Levy suffered an acute heart attack. Doctors scanned his arteries then performed an angioplasty to remove a clot but that wasn’t enough. He needed bypass surgery, which was successful, but afterwards Levy suffered low blood pressure. His heart was injured and weakened and when medications didn’t help as much as doctors wanted, they turned elsewhere.
Dr. M. L. Ray Kuretu, Medical Director of Cardiac Surgery at Beebe Healthcare tells 47 ABC, “In my opinion if we didn’t have the technology we probably would have lost Mr. Levy.”
The machine that saved Levy’s life is called CardioHelp, which is a portable heart-lung support system. Levy’s doctors snaked tubes from the device through an artery in his thigh, up into his heart, where it forced his blood through an artificial membrane infusing it with oxygen and removing carbon dioxide. It performed that job giving Levy’s heart a much needed rest for almost three weeks. While CardioHelp can be used to assist people during a heart attack it can also help those having other serious medical emergencies as well.
Dr. Robert Myers, Interventional Cardiologist at Beebe Healthcare tells 47 ABC, “There are other reasons why the heart fails. Sometimes it can be viral infections sometimes its inflammatory disorders. Even in people who have had hypothermia who need to be warmed you can use a device like this because it can heat the blood and return it to the heart which is a very effective way of warming the body.
CardioHelp was first introduced to Beebe Healthcare in June of 2013. It’s unique because of its size. At 22 pounds and smaller than a suitcase, it’s the first such system cleared for both ground and air transportation. But while it has saved lives, there are risks.
Dr. Kuretu tells 47 ABC, “The main risk is particularly in women with small arteries. We are improving the way we use it all the time.”
Today Levy and his heart are also improving.
Dr. Myers tells 47 ABC, “At this point he’s made a tremendous recovery. You know he’s doing well he’s not fully recovered yet but I anticipate that he’ll make a full recovery.”
Levy tells 47 ABC, “I’m glad that I’m still alive and I have my wife to stand by me and I have the doctors that took care of me the whole situation.”
While these machines are effective they are also very pricey. The cost of one runs about $130,000 and up. Just this month Beebe was approved for a second CardioHelp machine.
Dr. Kuretu tells 47 ABC, “I didn’t save him God saved him but I was just, I just helped him. I was God’s tool that day.”
