The Impella device is a small, catheter-based miniaturized ventricular assist device that pumps blood from the left ventricle into the ascending aorta. It is the worlds smallest heart pump and is used to help maintain blood flow during high-risk protected percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) . The Impella device is implanted into the left side of a patients heart through a small incision in the femoral artery or through a small incision in a subclavian artery. The device pulls blood from the ventricle and pushes it out into the aorta, delivering oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. This allows the heart to rest while the doctor performs the PCI. The Impella device can also be used in patients experiencing a heart attack and shock, providing additional support to the heart and helping it rest and heal. The device can serve as a short-term bridge to recovery, heart transplant, or implantation of a long-term heart support device. Impella heart pumps provide the unique benefit of unloading the heart while providing coronary perfusion and end-organ perfusion. The Impella device is the only U.S. FDA-approved percutaneous heart pump technology indicated for patients with severe coronary artery disease requiring high-risk PCI or AMI cardiogenic shock.