The Tampa General Hospital Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) Program offers comprehensive care using innovative and cutting-edge technology to treat patients with advanced cardiac disease including heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Under the leadership of Dr. Ioana Dumitru, Medical Director, the MCS program plays an integral role in the continuum of advanced cardiac care using numerous mechanical support strategies for critically ill patients.
Multidisciplinary Approach
Our highly specialized team is multidisciplinary at its core. The team consists of experienced cardiothoracic surgeons, heart failure cardiologists, intensivists, cardiac anesthesiologists, perfusionists, dedicated heart failure and MCS nurse coordinators, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers, and multiple subspecialty consultants. Working seamlessly together our team provides state of the art patient centric compassionate care. Our team is available at all times to providing inpatient care and outpatient coordination for all patients and referring providers throughout the region.
Nationally Recognized Care
Our program has earned national recognition for providing advanced heart failure services to the community and for its scientific contribution to advances in the field of MCS. In 2002 our program was the first to implant a durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) in the state of Florida. Since that time the program has served patients throughout the United States and internationally, implanting a total of more than 650 LVADs as of 2023 with favorable outcomes.
Innovation & Clinical Trials
The Tampa General Hospital MCS program prides itself on being an active participant in clinical trials and an early adopter of innovative technologies. This philosophy offers patients a wide variety of MCS treatment options including temporary support such as Impella CP, 5.5, RP flex, Tandem Heart, ECMO and surgically implanted Centrimag. These devices are used for short term support and to assist in the recovery of heart function. These temporary support strategies also allow for patients to safely undergo complex lifesaving cardiac procedures that would not otherwise be possible. Long term durable support strategies, such as Heartmate 3 and Evaheart, are employed when short term recovery is not attainable and in some cases are used a bridge to heart transplantation.
