The electrophysiology team at Deborah Heart and Lung Center announced they are now offering Abbott’s Gallant^™ implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) devices for people with abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure. The high voltage devices offer a smartphone app and Bluetooth^® communication for improved remote monitoring and streamlined communications to help doctors tailor therapy to a patient’s unique clinical needs.

“This is the next step forward in supporting our heart arrhythmia patients, and as a way of further bonding the patient-physician relationship,” said Raffaele Corbisiero, MD, Director of Electrophysiology at Deborah Heart and Lung Center. “Having an immediate feedback loop through a patient’s smartphone provides a major step forward in staying ahead of any worsening conditions. This will be a tremendous health benefit to our patients, as well as providing a very convenient option for remote monitoring of their heart health.”

The new Gallant system pairs with Abbott’s secure myMerlinPulse™, an intuitive mobile smartphone application designed to help streamline communication between doctors and their patients. The app provides access to data, device performance, and transmission history, which helps people take an active role in their healthcare. Through the myMerlinPulse app, physicians can continuously monitor their patients remotely allowing for identification of asymptomatic episodes as well as patient-triggered transmissions, which can lead to earlier intervention.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that as many as 6.1 million people in the United States battle cardiac arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms. ICDs are often recommended to help reduce the risks of life-threatening arrhythmias. For patients with heart failure or in situations when the heart’s chambers beat out of sync, CRT-Ds can be used to restore the heart’s natural pattern of beating.