Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP)

If a patient is having a large heart attack and the heart muscle is weak, or the blood pressure is too low, an intra-aortic balloon pump is placed under local anesthetic from the leg artery into the aorta. The patient receives a local anesthetic, then an intra-aortic balloon pump is inserted from the leg artery to the aorta. The pump inflates and deflates with each heartbeat decreasing the workload of the heart. The patient is confined to the intensive care unit during this time.