What is intra-aortic balloon pump insertion?
Why would a doctor recommend intra-aortic balloon pump insertion?
What does an intra-aortic balloon pump insertion involve?
How long is the recovery after an intra-aortic balloon pump insertion?
What is intra-aortic balloon pump insertion?
An intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) is placed inside the heart to reduce how hard the heart needs to work. The device inflates a small balloon right after the heart pumps, and deflates it just before the heart beats again. It can reduce the heart's workload by up to 20 percent.
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Why would a doctor recommend intra-aortic balloon pump insertion?
The IABP can be used for high-risk patients during heart surgeries or procedures, such as angioplasty or rotational atherectomy. It can also be used for a short time after a person has suffered a severe heart attack, or while a patient is waiting for a heart transplant.
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What does an intra-aortic balloon pump insertion involve?
With the patient awake and under local pain medicine, the doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube (catheter) in an artery, usually near the patient's groin. The actual balloon is situated at the tip of the catheter. Using an X-ray camera, the doctor guides the catheter into the aorta, the main artery in the heart, and properly places the balloon.
The device is connected through the catheter to a computer that controls the inflation and deflation of the IABP. The patient will feel the machine pulse as it makes the balloon open and close.
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How long is the recovery after an intra-aortic balloon pump insertion?
In most cases, an IABP is needed only for a few days, although it can be used for as long as a month. The patient must remain connected by catheter to the computer controls until the IABP is removed.
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