Patient's High BP Treated by Keck Surgeons

Robert Longo knew he was in potential danger. His hypertension, or high blood pressure, was a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease – and even with four medications it was not under control.

Thanks to surgeons at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and a new medical device, Longo is doing better now. Longo is the first on the West Coast, and one of the first in the country, to receive an implantable medical device that sends electrical impulses to the brain to activate the body’s own blood pressure control system.

Approximately 65 million people in the United States suffer from hypertension, which can affect individuals of any age, gender or race. That’s almost one in every four adults. Hypertension is estimated to cause one in every eight deaths worldwide.

“A small percentage of the population with hypertension does not respond to medications or lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise,” says Fred Weaver, M.D., chief of the division of vascular surgery at the Keck School of Medicine and lead investigator in the Rheos Pivotal Trial, the study of the device implanted in Longo.

“The Rheos Therapy is an innovative treatment that is designed to electrically activate the body’s own monitoring system to watch and control blood pressure. This ‘physiological rational’ treatment takes advantage of the function of the body’s natural pressure sensors to reduce blood pressure and improve cardiovascular function,” says Weaver, who also is affiliated with USC’s Cardiac and Vascular Institute.

Longo, a 50-year-old Burbank, Calif., resident, received the Rheos Baroreflex Hypertension Therapy System after having high blood pressure for eight years.

Similar to a pacemaker, the electronic device is implanted under the collarbone. Then, the wire leads are threaded from the device to points on the left and right carotid arteries. The leads send electrical impulses that activate the baroreflex, the body’s own blood pressure control system, and signals to the brain to reduce blood pressure.

“Before the operation, Robert’s systolic blood pressure ranged in the 180s while on four medications. That is extremely high. After initial tests with the implant, his blood pressure dropped by 45 points,” says Mitra Nadim, M.D., clinical specialist in hypertension and co-director of the USC Center for Hypertension and Renovascular Care.

“This is really exciting to see such a quick and drastic improvement in Robert’s blood pressure,” Nadim says. “We’ve been treating him with medications without much improvement. We hope this device will provide a long-term solution to his health.”

According to the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, optimal blood pressure is considered below 120/80 mm Hg. People with blood pressures above 140/90 mm Hg are considered to have high blood pressure.

Left uncontrolled, hypertension increases the strain on blood vessels and arteries, which can narrow and harden. Hardened vessels, often referred to as atherosclerosis, increase the risk of blood clots and stroke and can damage vital organs including the heart, brain and kidneys.

The promise of the Rheos device is exciting. With it, Longo hopes that “I can live a longer and healthier life.”

To learn more about the Rheos Pivotal study, call 1-866-913-2584 or via e-mail.