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The interventional treatment team of the Department of Cardiology at Samsung Medical Center successfully performed the ‘Impella CP’ procedure on a patient with cardiogenic shock, marking the first such procedure in Korea. The Impella is a mechanical circulatory device that supports left ventricular function in patients with cardiogenic shock, such as those suffering from acute myocardial infarction, where the heart’s pumping ability is severely impaired. Inserted into the left ventricle via the femoral artery, it directly pumps blood into the aorta, effectively assisting the heart’s function. The device can be removed once the patient’s condition stabilizes.

The Impella is the only device proven to reduce mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock and has been widely used in the United States and Europe since the mid-2000s. However, this marks its first introduction in Korea. Cardiogenic shock has a very low survival rate of approximately 40% and has traditionally relied on limited treatment options, such as medication, intra-aortic balloon pumps, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The introduction of the Impella in Korea is expected to expand treatment options and improve survival rates.

Building on this first procedure, Samsung Medical Center plans to develop a treatment protocol tailored to domestic patients and establish a multidisciplinary collaborative care system. Professor Jeonghoon Yang, who performed the procedure, emphasized, “The introduction of Impella provides new treatment options for patients with cardiogenic shock.” Meanwhile, in April, the interventional treatment team of the Department of Cardiology also performed Korea’s first intra-arterial lithotripsy (IVL) to remove calcified lesions in the coronary artery.