UNIVERSITY Hospital Southampton (UHS) is the first in the UK to fit a heart failure patient with a sensor that can give clinicians an early warning about a deterioration in their condition.

The procedure is part of an international research study to prove this new way of monitoring and treating heart failure patients is safe and effective.

The 'unique technology', known as the FIRE1 System, is a sensor about the size of a pen lid which is designed to monitor the amount of fluid in the body – elevated levels can give an indication of worsening heart failure.

The device is implanted into the inferior vena cava (IVC) – the body's largest vein, located in the abdomen which carries oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart.

It works by continuously measuring the size of the IVC giving a marker of the amount of fluid in the body.

Dr Andrew Flett, who carried out the procedure with Dr Peter Cowburn, of University Hospital Southampton said: “This innovative new device has the potential to improve patient safety and outcomes in the management of patients with chronic heart failure and we are delighted to be the first site in the UK to implant as part of this ground-breaking study.

“Heart failure is a significant burden on the NHS and so pioneering advances such as this could help to reduce that pressure.”

The device is implanted during a 45-minute procedure using a small catheter which is placed in a vein at the top of the leg.

It is collapsed on entry so it can be pushed up into the IVC where it expands to its full size.

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After surgery patients are given an external detection belt worn across the abdomen for one to two minutes a day which powers the implanted sensor using radiofrequency energy.

Data is sent from a patient’s home to the heart failure team at UHS daily to alert the team to early warning signs so they can intervene before their condition worsens significantly.

Heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump blood around the body efficiently, causing fluid to build up. Around 700 patients are rushed to UHS with the condition every year.

Common causes include high blood pressure which puts strain on the heart, cardiomyopathy, which is a disease of the heart muscle, and long-term damage as a result of a heart attack.

It is estimated that more than 900,000 people in the UK are living with heart failure and this number is likely to rise due to an ageing population, more effective treatments and improved survival rates after a heart attack.

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