The Impella pulls blood from the ventricle and pushes it out into the aorta, delivering oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. This allows your heart to rest while the doctor performs the PCI. Once the PCI procedure is complete, the Impella is turned off and guided out.

How long can you be on Impella?

Duration of use and outcomes. The FDA has approved use of Impella for 6 hours, but current data has revealed off-label use in patients for a variable duration, ranging from a few hours to an average of 12 days, with the longest recorded duration at 35 days in a single documented case.

Why would a patient need an Impella?

What are the indications for Impella? Impella has been increasingly used in patients with: Severe heart failure – When the heart muscle is weak, blood cannot be pumped efficiently enough to get oxygen to all of the cells. Sometimes the heart becomes enlarged and weak.