Chonnam National University Hospital Succeeds in First Impella Procedure After Nationwide Introduction

Chonnam National University Hospital successfully performed the first Impella procedure after its introduction. Photo by Chonnam National University Hospital

Chonnam National University Hospital announced on December 1 that it has successfully performed the 'Impella CP' procedure, which it was the first in the country to introduce.

Chonnam National University Hospital is one of the first institutions in Korea to introduce Impella, along with Samsung Medical Center and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, and has continued to achieve successful outcomes since the initial adoption. The recent procedure was performed by an interventional team from the Department of Cardiology, consisting of Professors Ahn Youngkeun, Kim Juhan, Hong Youngjun, Shim Dooseon, Kim Mincheol, Lee Seunghun, Ahn Junho, Hyun Daeyong, Oh Seok, and Lim Yonghwan.

Impella is a mechanical circulatory support device that assists left ventricular function and has been widely used in major developed countries such as those in Europe and the United States for over 20 years. In Korea, it was officially introduced as a new medical technology in the second half of this year. In particular, it is recognized as the only mechanical circulatory device proven to improve survival rates in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. The mortality rate for acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock reaches 40 to 50 percent, and until now, domestic treatment relied only on drug therapy or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

The Impella device works by inserting a thin catheter through the femoral artery into the left ventricle to support cardiac function. This reduces the workload on the heart and the left ventricle, playing a critical role in increasing the survival chances of patients in life-threatening cardiogenic shock situations.

With the success of this first procedure, Chonnam National University Hospital has established a foundation to provide faster and more effective treatment for patients with severe myocardial infarction in the region. The hospital plans to actively utilize Impella in the future to improve access to treatment within the golden hour and to further enhance patient survival rates.

Professor Ahn Youngkeun stated, "Thanks to the efforts of related academic societies and the government, we are now able to apply world-class treatments to patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. Chonnam National University Hospital will do its utmost to expand the use of Impella and save more patients' lives."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.