The Impella® device, a type of heart pump, is the world’s smallest and only minimally invasive, mechanical cardiovascular support system. It is a temporary device used to aid the heart in pumping blood when a patient’s heart is too weak. The Impella® procedure is a minimally invasive surgery that is normally done to sustain the patient’s weak heart for another major surgery by providing temporary support for the heart muscle.

At UPMC, cardiologists offer the Impella® in Williamsport, PA, in our cardiac catheterization lab. Learn more about our interventional cardiology services.

Treating Heart Failure With The Impella®

The Impella® device is a tiny heart pump inside a catheter, only 6.4 mm in diameter. It has an electric motor that can pump approximately 2.5 liters of blood per minute sustaining the heart for up to seven days. This device is so small that it can be inserted into the patient’s heart through a small catheter placed through an artery in the leg. The Impella® heart pump is passed up the femoral artery in the leg and inserted into the left ventricle. X-rays are used to place the pump in the right location. The Impella® pump uses an electrical motor attached to a 3mm wire, which extends out of the patient, where it is connected to a battery and control pack the size of a small laptop computer.

UPMC's Heart and Vascular Institute performs cardiac catheterization, including The Impella, in Williamsport, Wellsboro, and the surrounding areas of PA.