Buffalo, NY, June 25, 2002 - Heart failure occurs when the heart does not pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. About five million Americans suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF), which causes such symptoms as fatigue, shortness of breath, depletion of energy, difficulty sleeping due to breathing problems, impaired memory and confusion. In severe cases, CHF can render its victims virtually bedridden.

A new form of pacemaker - called a biventricular pacemaker - can now be surgically implanted, with dramatic results in many patients who suffer from advanced CHF. Results often are immediate, with patients experiencing improvement within just a day after the procedure is done. Surgeons refer to this revolutionary therapy for advanced CHF as “the most fascinating branch of cardiology” and note that “it’s like throwing on a light switch” in terms of its immediate benefit to many patients.

Surgeons at Buffalo General and Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospitals have begun implanting biventricular pacemakers on a regular basis. Also known as cardiac resynchronization therapy, the procedure involves placing a small device under the skin of the chest, with three soft, insulated leads into the heart. It works by sending tiny electrical pulses to the heart’s ventricles to make them beat, as they should, in a coordinated fashion.

For more information about biventricular pacemaker implants, please call (716) 859-2248.