Heart Care Breakthrough: Houston VA First to Implement Revolutionary Device for Veterans
By Maureen Dyman, Communications Director
Veterans at the Houston VA will benefit from a groundbreaking advancement in heart care, as the facility becomes the first in the VA and the first hospital in the Houston Texas Medical Center to implement the revolutionary Cardiac Contractility Modulation Device (CCM-D).
This milestone marks a significant advancement in the treatment of heart failure, a condition that in the past carried a poor prognosis and remains the leading cause of death in the United States.
“For me, it’s an exciting time to be an advanced heart failure cardiologist,” said Dr. Steve Antoine, a cardiologist at the Houston VA and an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine. “For too long, heart disease has carried a prognosis worse than many cancers. But we've entered a new era in medicine, where our technological advances are finally catching up to the clinical unmet needs of our patients.”
The CCM-D device represents a step forward in cardiac care, combining the life-saving protection of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) with cardiac contractility modulation into a single, rechargeable device that is implanted into the chest. The device can improve heart failure symptoms while simultaneously protecting against sudden cardiac death. This innovative therapy enhances not only survival but also quality of life for patients with heart failure.
Among the first Veterans to receive the CCM-D device at the Houston VA was Army Veteran Springer Watson. After years of battling heart failure, Watson is looking forward to a bright future. “I’m excited about getting out and about more,” he said. “After getting this device just a few weeks ago, I am feeling a little better every day and I'm looking forwarding to increasing my exercise and getting back to my old self.”
Dr. Hamid Afshar, a cardiac interventional electrophysiologist and a key member of the cardiology team at the Houston VA, shares Watson’s sentiments. “The ability to offer the CCM-D device to our Veterans is a game changer," he said. "In addition to treating the life-threatening arrhythmia, the CCM-D device also has the potential to significantly improve their daily lives and provide them with the quality of care they deserve. This is just the beginning of what we can achieve in advanced heart failure management.”
Research shows a higher incidence of heart failure among Veterans compared to the general population, making the CCM-D technology especially important to the Houston VA's large patient population.
"As the first VA facility to implant the CCM-D device, the Houston VA is committed to cutting-edge care and innovation in the field of cardiology," Antoine said. "We’re no longer satisfied with simply extending life; we want to improve the quality of that life. Being able to offer this transformative therapy to our Veterans, who have given so much in service to our country, makes this milestone all the more meaningful.”