Abiomed Inc. (NSDQ:ABMD) announced the first use of its Impella RP cardiac assist pump north of the border.
Dr. Anson Cheung of Vancouver-based Providence Heart and Lung Institute performed the procedure, which involves the percutaneous insertion of the device into the heart’s right ventricle.
The device, which delivers more than four liters of blood from the lower right atrium to the pulmonary artery, assisted the patient’s heart for six days, according to Abiomed.
"A common challenge for post-transplant patients with acute right heart failure is that they often have limited treatment options. The Impella RP represents a huge step forward in offering right side support using a minimally invasive platform," Cheung said in prepared remarks.
Cheung’s hospital had access to the cardiac assist device under Canada’s “special access” regulations, which enables healthcare providers to request access to devices that are unavailable for sale in the country when conventional treatments have failed.
Danvers, Mass.-based Abiomed boasted a sales bump of 11 percent as revenues from its Impella heart pumps reached record numbers during the first quarter of the company’s 2011 fiscal year.