St. James Hospital performs first Impella procedure, enhances cardiovascular care

Finding great care close to home can be challenging in many rural communities. But in Butte, Montana and its surrounding communities, St. James Hospital provides world-class care, including groundbreaking cardiovascular procedures usually only available in major urban areas.??

In February, the medical team at St. James performed its first Impella procedure. The Impella is a mechanical left heart pump used to help maintain blood flow when someone experiences cardiogenic shock. This occurs when the tissues and organs of the body don't get enough oxygen to survive when the heart fails to pump enough blood to the body. Placing an Impella through a patient's artery and into the left ventricle of the heart temporarily helps the heart pump better.??

"For this patient, their acute cardiomyopathy significantly reduced the pumping function of their heart in a short period of time. The decision to implant the Impella CP, allowed the pump to assist the pumping function of their heart to provide blood and oxygen to their vital organs," explained Deanna Montoya, RN and chest pain coordinator at St. James. "This action allowed their heart to rest and recover. In a matter of days, their heart made a remarkable recovery and was able to function on its own without the pump in place."?

With this innovative technology now available in Butte, patients no longer face the burden of traveling long distances for critical interventions. Instead, they receive expert treatment close to home, ensuring timely and accessible healthcare when every moment counts.??

"If we didn't have the Impella, the patient who needed the procedure would have been sent to Billings or would not have survived," said Montoya. "The ability to perform this procedure is a testament to the incredible cardiovascular program and specialized team of caregivers at St. James that allows patients to receive high-quality care close to home. And because of our cath lab capabilities, we've been able to really push the limits on the type of care we can provide."???

In 2021, St. James upgraded a two-lab cardiac catheterization suite that provides patients with improved access to high-quality cardiovascular care, resulting in better patient outcomes. The suite allows the hospital to perform regularly scheduled procedures while keeping an additional lab open for patients needing a procedure at a moment's notice.???

"The suite allows St. James to see a higher volume of patients and allows us to provide state-of-the-art cardiovascular care and more procedures in our cath lab," said Deanna. "Because of this, our patients are getting the highest quality of care and can heal close to home."?