Overlake Becomes First Hospital in Washington to Offer MultiPoint Pacing Technology for Heart Failure Patients

New pacemaker system has potential to become wave of the future

BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Overlake has become the first medical center in Washington State to
utilize the new MultiPoint Pacing (MPP) technology, featured on the
Quadra Assura MP™ cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) defibrillator
for treatment of heart failure. Pacemakers using the MPP technology have
more points of contact with the heart, making them, in many cases, more
effective than standard pacemaker technology.

Pacemakers that use the MultiPoint Pacing technology deliver electrical
pulses to multiple locations within the left side of the heart to
resynchronize contraction of the heart’s lower chambers (ventricles). It
may also increase a heart failure patient’s response to CRT by
increasing the amount of cardiac tissue being stimulated at one time and
may reduce the need for costly and invasive procedures to readjust the
placement of the thin wires, called leads, around the heart.

Approximately 23
million people worldwide are afflicted with congestive heart failure
and 2 million new cases are diagnosed worldwide each year.

“We are very enthusiastic about being able to offer this new technology
to our cardiac patients,” said Dr. Derek Rodrigues, who performed the
procedure on a 65-year-old patient. “Because the leads on this pacemaker
are in contact with more of the heart, it has the potential to improve
the heart’s ability to beat more naturally. In addition, MultiPoint
Pacing technology essentially acts as a ‘personal trainer for the
heart,’ remodeling it to be healthier overall.”

According to the American
Heart Association, CRT can improve the heart’s efficiency at pumping
blood to the body and can lessen symptoms of heart failure, including
shortness of breath. However, even with effective placement of the leads
around the heart, this kind of therapy is not always effective for some
patients. The goal of MultiPoint Pacing technology is to allow
physicians to program the device to capture more left-ventricular tissue
at one time by pacing at multiple locations in the heart, thus
increasing the number of patients who could benefit from this type of
therapy. Studies have
shown that activating more ventricular tissue faster may enhance heart
muscle performance.

“MultiPoint technology represents an important step forward in device
efficacy for our heart failure patients,” said Carolyn Holmes, who
manages the Invasive Cardiovascular Services team at Overlake.
“State-of-the-art cardiac therapies improve our patients’ quality of
life in such dramatic ways. It is gratifying to be at the vanguard of
these new technologies.”

MultiPoint Pacing technology, from global medical device manufacturer
St. Jude Medical, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
for commercial use in the U.S. For more information, visit sjm.com.

Reporters interested in interviewing Dr. Rodrigues may contact Lee
Keller or Carol Lucas at the Keller Group at 425-898-2700, lee@thekellergroup.com
or carol@thekellergroup.com.

About Overlake Medical Center

Overlake Medical Center is the only non-profit, non-tax-supported,
regional medical center with a network of medical clinics throughout the
Eastside. The hospital is licensed for 349 beds and offers a
comprehensive range of services including cardiac care, cancer care,
general and specialty surgery, women’s programs, senior care
and psychiatric services. It was the first Level III trauma
service on the Eastside. For more information, visit www.overlakehospital.org.

Contacts

Overlake Medical Center
Kipepeo Brown, 425-688-5603
kipepeo.brown@overlakehospital.org
Media
pager: 425-631-6611
or
The Keller Group
Lee Keller,
206-799-3805
lee@thekellergroup.com