Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood posted the following information on Facebook Thursday afternoon:

Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood (HMCB) Cardiac Team is excited for another “first” at HMCB.

On Thursday, the HMCB cardiac team, led by Dr. Michael Blanc, placed its first Impella LV assist device in a patient suffering with cardiogenic shock.

The Impella LV device is a small left ventricle assist device that pumps blood out of the left ventricle when the heart is too weak to do it on its own temporarily. It significantly enhances stability of the patients for transport to a tertiary care center for definitive therapy. The patient was stabilized at HMCB and transported to Hendrick Medical Center North for further evaluation and additional cardiac care.

The HMCB cardiac team is excited to move the cardiac program forward by continuing to make available vital cardiac services to our community.