Skip to Main Content

Parkwest Performs 100+ Procedures Using Minimally Invasive Heart Pump

  • 4 minute read.
  • Last Updated: 2/4/2026

Covenant Health Parkwest has performed more than 100 procedures using the Impella 5.5® with SmartAssist®. This minimally invasive heart pump can help patients recover more quickly after a heart event or procedure.  

Medical illustration of a human heart with a minimally invasive heart pump (ventricular assist device) implanted, showing the device's position and components inside the heart chambers and aorta.
The Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist heart pump.

Covenant Health’s heart hospitals offer award-winning advanced technology and clinical expertise. Our teams provide life-saving care and recovery plans for patients who experience serious cardiac events. Advanced technology like the Impella heart pump helps make Covenant Health a leader in cardiac care.

Pump Reduces Heart’s Workload as Recovery Begins

The Impella 5.5 is a temporary heart pump for patients whose hearts are too weak to pump blood on their own. Designed for long-duration support, the heart pump technology reduces the heart’s workload and oxygen demand while supplying much-needed blood and oxygen to other vital organs.

A man with short dark hair and a trimmed beard, wearing a white medical coat that reads Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, smiles against a dark gray background—highlighting his expertise in minimally invasive heart pump procedures.
John M. Hance, MD, MPH

Cardiovascular surgeon John Hance, MD, says the device can be beneficial for patients with blocked arteries or for those who need heart bypass surgery.

He explains, “It gives the heart time to fully recover from the inflammatory response of either heart attack or the intervention itself. This allows the heart to rest while the body makes normal, expected recovery progress. The pump can be removed under minimal sedation a few days or weeks later depending on the patient’s specific needs. It allows us to deliver state-of-the-art care in sicker patients closer to home.”

Minimally Invasive Placement Improves Patient Comfort

A woman with long dark hair wearing a white lab coat and a gray top smiles in front of a gray, textured background. She has hoop earrings and a delicate necklace.
Sara Negrotto, MD

Interventional cardiologist Sara Negrotto, MD, explains that the heart pump is typically placed via a small incision on the left or right side of the chest near the arm. Surgeons then advance the pump through a graft, positioning it in the left ventricle of the heart.

“The surgical Impella 5.5 improves a patient’s comfort and recovery, as it allows patients to sit up and sometimes walk. This is very helpful in getting patients off a ventilator and into some physical therapy to regain strength. Patients can participate in both physical and occupational therapy with the pump in place,” Dr. Negrotto says.

Advanced Tracking Technology Enables Care Team Collaboration

A man with short dark hair wearing a white medical coat, light blue dress shirt, and dark polka dot tie, smiling slightly in front of a dark gray background.
Ayaz Rahman, MD

The heart pump technology includes Impella Connect®, which enables medical providers to view the heart pump’s control screen remotely through a secure, HIPAA-compliant feed. The screen helps clinicians track and review a patient’s progress.

Ayaz Rahman, MD, interventional cardiologist, explains the tracking technology enhances patient care. Clinical team members can share information and participate in multi-disciplinary, consensus-based decisions.

“The care team members—interventional, heart failure, ICU, cardiothoracic surgery, and nursing—all see the same data. This allows early detection of issues and enables the team to act earlier, make decisions faster, communicate clearly, and deliver high-reliability care,” he says. “The technology creates time and stability for planning the right long-term pathway for the patient.”

A Team Approach to Excellence in Heart Care

Dr. Rahman says Impella 5.5 enables a standard of system-level excellence. For example, “It transforms cardiogenic shock from a single-specialty emergency into a coordinated heart-team strategy,” he says. “This approach creates a high-functioning team that makes Parkwest a regional leader in shock and heart failure care.”

The heart hospitals and medical practices of Covenant Health are committed to providing excellent patient care. We offer a full spectrum of cardiac services, from outpatient testing and interventional cardiology to open-heart surgery and cardiac rehabilitation. Learn more about heart care at Parkwest Medical Center and Covenant Health and find a Covenant Health heart physician near you.

Loading Next Page