Protected PCI With Impella® Heart Pump Offers Father of Three a New Lease on Life

Kris Kirkman, a husband, father and sales director from Zachary, Louisiana, has a family history of heart disease and has lived with hypertension for 20 years. At the age of 48, Kris experienced shortness of breath, fluid buildup around his abdomen, and difficulty sleeping, Kris visited a local emergency clinic. He was prescribed medication and sent home. 

Kris’s symptoms gradually became more severe over the next few months. When he experienced trouble breathing, Kris’s wife, Laura, brought him to the local hospital where he was diagnosed with advanced coronary disease and congestive heart failure with poor ejection fraction at 20%. He was told he was too high-risk for bypass surgery and was discharged home with a wearable defibrillator.

Kris was referred to interventional cardiologist Niksad Abraham, MD at Baton Rouge General, Cardiovascular Institute of the South. Dr. Abraham identified Kris as an appropriate candidate for a Protected PCI procedure with Impella. When he returned for the scheduled procedure, Dr. Abraham successfully achieved complete revascularization with the support of Impella CP® and Kris was discharged home the next day. Today, Kris’s ejection fraction has returned to normal (55%). He is thankful to be back at work and enjoying a healthier lifestyle with his wife and three children.

As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary. There are potential risks, these risks need to be discussed with your doctor and recovery takes time. The success of this procedure depends on many factors, including your physical condition and your body’s ability to tolerate the procedure. Use care in the selection of your doctors and hospital, based on their skill and experience.