Tiny Impella pump offers new hope to heart patients

"A miniature pump, so small it can be threaded through an artery and placed inside the heart, offers new hope to critically ill heart attack and heart failure patients who have run out of options. The Abiomed Impella 2.5, is making its Tampa Bay area debut at the Pepin Heart Hospital at University Community Hospital. It is a new type of pump that assists the heart's main pumping chamber to drive blood through the body. While it is in place for hours or days, a seriously damaged heart gets crucial time to recover. Or, it can give doctors time to perform procedures such as opening blocked arteries, which might otherwise kill the critically ill patient" - Tampabay.com