Baptist North Mississippi performs cardiac first

OXFORD, Miss. –Physicians at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi recently performed the region’s first Impella RP heart pump implant.

The Impella RP heart pump is the only heart pump approved by the Food and Drug Administration to provide temporary circulatory support for patients experiencing right heart failure or decompensation after heart attack, heart transplant, open-heart surgery and in combination with a left ventricular assist device. The Impella RP can also be used in patients who experience right heart failure as a result of COVID-19 complications.

“The need for right-sided heart support is rare but for some patients, it can make the difference between life and death,” said Dr. Kevin Hall, an interventional cardiologist with Stern Cardiovascular. “I am grateful that we can offer the most advanced treatment options for heart failure patients at Baptist North Mississippi.”

Patients experiencing right heart failure present with leg and ankle swelling due to pressure in the veins from blood not pumping to the lungs. Baptist North Mississippi offers a full range of cardiac diagnostic services to identify and treat heart disease, such as this, from heart surgery to cardiac rehab.

Baptist North Mississippi, a 217-bed hospital in Oxford, Mississippi, is a regional referral center that offers a variety of services, including cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, home care and hospice, a 24-hour emergency room, a weight loss center, a heartburn treatment center and a wound care center. In November 2017, the hospital moved into a five-story, 600,000-square-foot-facility that offers expanded services, including a larger emergency department, advanced technology and larger rooms for patients and their families. Since the hospital became affiliated with Baptist in 1989, Baptist has invested almost $700 million into the community. For more information, please call 662-636-1000 or visit northmiss.baptistonline.org.