February is American Heart Month, a time to spotlight innovative technologies, research, and practices that could drastically reduce heart disease and improve survival rates. This year, the emphasis feels especially urgent: heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also disproportionately affects certain communities—including children born with congenital heart defects.
Enter the Impella 5.5 pump, a newly FDA-approved device for younger patients facing life-threatening heart failure or cardiogenic shock. This tiny heart pump, about the size of a fountain pen, provides circulatory support without the need for invasive open-chest surgeries. For doctors, it’s a breakthrough; for patients like 21-year-old Katrina Penney, it’s nothing short of a lifesaver.
A Second Chance at Life
Katrina’s story reads like a medical odyssey. Born with congenital heart defects, she received her first heart transplant as a baby. Her childhood was largely normal—she played sports, went to school, and built friendships. But two years ago, her transplanted heart began to fail, plunging Katrina into heart failure at age 19. A second transplant was her best hope, but that meant waiting for a matching donor while her condition steadily worsened.
“I was in complete heart failure,” Katrina told CBS NEWS. “The Impella kept me alive for five weeks.”
Those five weeks were critical. During that time, the Impella 5.5, nicknamed “Ella” by Katrina, did the heavy lifting for her heart. Implanted at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), it circulated blood through her body, preventing organ failure while doctors located a suitable donor heart.
In June 2023, she received her second heart transplant—an event Katrina calls miraculous. “It’s crazy that this little device, probably the size of my fingernail, can save someone’s life,” she marvels. Now, she’s studying to become a special education teacher, savoring every beat of her new heart.
The Impella: Why It’s So Revolutionary
The Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist is a minimally invasive heart pump that can deliver up to 6 liters per minute of blood flow—enough to fully support or relieve the heart’s workload. Traditionally, bridging patients from heart failure to a transplant might require large, external machines or open-heart surgery. But doctors can place the Impella without opening the chest cavity, threading it through an artery until it sits in the left ventricle.
Key Advantages
- No Major Incisions: This drastically reduces infection risks and shortens recovery times.
- Mobility: Since the device is so small, many patients can move around, do gentle exercises, or even undergo rehabilitation while awaiting a transplant or other long-term solution.
- Real-Time Data: The SmartAssist technology gives doctors continuous feedback about cardiac output, helping them tweak therapy as needed.
“It’s a game-changer,” says Dr. Katsuhide Maeda of CHOP, who treated Katrina. “We can be implantable without opening the chest. That alone is huge for young patients.”
A Month to Raise Awareness
American Heart Month aims to educate and mobilize communities to lower heart disease risk, adopt healthier lifestyles, and support emerging therapies. Despite many adults associating heart disease with older populations, these challenges also confront younger demographics:
Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs): Affect roughly 1 in 100 children born in the U.S. Each year, about 40,000 infants face CHDs, some requiring multiple surgeries or transplants (CDC).
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): Still the most common heart disease, killing 371,506 people in 2022, with about 1 in 20 adults over age 20 having CAD.
Heart Attacks: Occur every 40 seconds in the U.S. Yearly, about 805,000 Americans suffer a heart attack, and nearly 1 in 5 are silent.
It’s easy to overlook the pediatric angle, but stories like Katrina’s emphasize the wide reach of cardiac problems.
Shedding Light on Cardiogenic Shock
Cardiogenic shock occurs when the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, often due to severe heart failure or post-surgery complications. Vital organs start to fail, making quick intervention crucial. The Impella helps maintain blood and oxygen flow to the brain, kidneys, and other organs, buying doctors precious time to stabilize patients.
A Lifeline for More than Just Transplants
While the Impella is a critical bridge for transplant candidates, it also benefits:
Post-cardiotomy patients: People who experience cardiogenic shock after open-heart surgery.
High-risk PCI procedures: In adult cases, the Impella can support the heart during complex stent placements.
Valvular disease patients: People awaiting valve repairs or replacements might see improved survival chances with temporary mechanical support.
Disparities in Heart Health
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., but not all communities experience it equally. Factors like access to quality healthcare, socioeconomic status, and public health resources mean that certain ethnic or racial groups bear a heavier burden. Hence, innovations like the Impella could be a game-changer for children in under-resourced communities—if medical systems can ensure equitable distribution and coverage.
Cost Considerations: Top-tier technology often comes at a high price. Balancing coverage through Medicaid, state children’s insurance programs, or charitable hospital funds may be key.
Geographical Gaps: Rural hospitals might lack specialized pediatric cardiac units that can handle advanced devices like the Impella. Telemedicine partnerships or state-level funding could help expand access.
How to Be Heart-Smart This February
- Check Your Risks: Know your blood pressure, cholesterol, and family history of heart disease.
- Support Legislation: Voice support for healthcare policies that improve children’s access to advanced heart-care tech.
- Donate or Volunteer: Organizations like the American Heart Association or local children’s hospitals often rely on community support. Consider donating to research or volunteering at awareness events.
- Foster Healthy Habits: Encourage kids to engage in regular exercise, balanced diets, and routine health checkups. Early prevention is often the best defense.
Real Hope for Young Patients
Katrina’s success highlights the potential of medical breakthroughs to transform what was once a grim outlook into a manageable—and sometimes totally normal—life path. She’s living proof that advanced tools like the Impella can bridge the gap from heart failure to a viable second chance.
Meanwhile, doctors at major children’s hospitals are optimistic about the device’s FDA approval for pediatric use. “This is the next step in saving more lives,” Dr. Maeda affirms. “Now we can intervene faster, less invasively, and keep the heart going without extensive surgery.”
Looking Ahead
As the rates of congenital heart defects and other pediatric cardiac issues remain steady, the promise of simpler, life-sustaining devices grows. The Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist might be just the beginning: an entire wave of compact, patient-friendly assistive technologies is on the horizon, from 3D-printed heart valves to AI-based remote monitoring.
Cardiogenic shock and heart transplants aren’t the only scenarios. Doctors believe the Impella could also help children with severe myocarditis, a condition that inflames the heart muscle, or adolescents who develop heart failure from viral infections. The potential applications underscore a crucial theme this American Heart Month: innovation can flip the script for families once trapped by their child’s grim prognosis.
A Shared Responsibility
Heart Month is about more than technology. It’s about raising awareness that heart disease—despite being the top killer in the U.S.—is often manageable or preventable through a blend of medical advancements and healthier lifestyles. For the youngest among us, every new device or study extends hope. And for communities, it’s a reminder to champion policies and practices that narrow health disparities.
Katrina is now a graduate student, heart pumping strong, excited about becoming a special education teacher. She credits her life to many factors: the donor who gave her a second heart, the medical team at CHOP, and, of course, “Ella,” the little pump that kept her going when her own heart could not. “I know it’s crazy that this little device can completely save someone’s life,” she says. Crazy, perhaps—but it’s also a concrete example of the transformative power of modern medicine.
This American Heart Month, consider how you can help:
Spread Awareness: Share stories like Katrina’s on social media to show what’s possible when innovation meets determination.
Support Heart Research: Donate to reputable charities or local children’s hospitals pioneering new cardiac treatments.
Stay Informed: Keep an eye on new technologies like the Impella, and encourage local policymakers to fund advanced cardiac care for underserved communities.
Live Heart-Healthy: From regular checkups to a balanced diet, small daily choices can prevent future heart crises.
Because whether it’s a brand-new Impella device or a simple daily walk, there’s always a way to strengthen hearts—one beat at a time.