Silver Cross 1st in World to Enroll Patient in Groundbreaking Heart Failure Study

Tuesday, Dec. 5, was one for the record books at Silver Cross as we became the first site in the WORLD to implant a heart failure device in a patient enrolled in the groundbreaking Proactive 2 Heart Failure Study.

The patient, a 71-year-old male with advanced heart failure and several repeat hospitalizations over the past year, was enrolled in the study by Dr. Gregory Macaluso, Heart Failure and Transplant Specialist. Once enrolled, the next step was implantation of a tiny sensor device in his right pulmonary artery by Interventional Cardiologist Dr. James Sur and our incredible Cardiac Catheterization Lab Team.

Patients with heart failure and their family members are familiar with the symptoms of heart failure: swelling, shortness of breath, fatigue and coughing.

But long before these symptoms show up, elevated pulmonary artery pressure levels are the first sign that heart failure is worsening. Armed with that critical information, providers can take immediate action to prevent serious symptoms – and repeat hospital stays.

The new Proactive 2 HF Study is international in scope with a goal of 1,500 enrollees worldwide, but its roots are much closer to home. Naperville-based Endotronix is the sponsor of the study and the maker of the Cordella Heart Failure System, which electronically communicates data from the device to a patient’s healthcare providers.

The original Proactive study targeted patients with Class 3 heart failure, which causes symptoms with minimal physical exertion. The Proactive 2 Study is looking to expand enrollment to patients with Class 2 heart failure (symptoms caused by moderate exertion) to see if it positively impacts heart failure earlier in the disease process.

That could be a game-changer for heart failure patients by helping them more proactively manage their condition – with the end result of improved quality of life. The device used in the study is implanted in a 30- to 60-minute procedure in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab; the patient is consciously sedated and typically will go home the same day.

For more information, call the Advanced Heart Failure Clinic at 815-300-3811.

Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.