It is our pleasure to announce the launch of the First-In-State, and one of a just handful in the world, Cardiac Recovery Program here at the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center and Banner University Medical Center - Tucson.
Cardiac recovery refers to the process by which mechanical assist devices are used not only as pump support for the heart, but also as a therapy. Pioneering work over the past two decades suggests that some patients with severe heart failure may completely recover their native heart function in weeks or months after implantation of a mechanical heart. Here at the Sarver Heart Center, Dr. Sadek’s lab was the first to show that this recovery process may in fact involve true heart muscle regeneration. By allowing the heart muscle to rest, innate regenerative mechanisms can be activated, resulting in reversal of some of the causes that led to heart failure.
Although the field is still in its infancy, we are optimistic that this program will have the potential to transform lives in Arizona and beyond. Through partnership with Banner Health, the premier healthcare system in Tucson, our team of cardiologists including Drs. Carl Tong, Elizabeth Juneman, Deepak Acharya and Hesham Sadek will work together to develop innovative recovery protocols to help some of our most vulnerable patients.