A patient had a blood clot on a pacemaker lead that had been in her heart for many years, being scheduled for open-heart surgery to remove the clot. Because of the new AlphaVac device available to Dignity Health, a much more simple procedure was able to be performed.
A catheter is inserted in the groin vessel and up into the heart where suction is used to remove the clot. The AlphaVac is a device that allows doctors to remove masses from inside a patient’s heart using a minimally-invasive technique and without formal open-heart surgery.
For more information, watch the video and visit DignityHealth.org/Bakersfield/Heart
