by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
New device gives Northern Colorado heart failure patients access to cutting-edge care close to home
GREELEY — Patients across Northern Colorado living with heart failure now have access to a new treatment option closer to home, as Banner Health expands advanced cardiac care at Banner North Colorado Medical Center.
The Greeley hospital is the first in the region to offer Barostim Baroreflex Activation Therapy, an FDA-approved device designed to improve symptoms and quality of life for people with heart failure.
Heart failure affects millions of Americans and often limits daily activity with symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and fluid retention. For Northern Colorado residents, accessing advanced therapies has traditionally meant traveling outside the region. The addition of this treatment locally could reduce that burden for patients and families.
Unlike pacemakers or defibrillators, the Barostim device targets the body’s autonomic nervous system. It works by stimulating sensors in the carotid artery that help regulate heart, kidney, and vascular function. This approach aims to improve how the heart responds both at rest and during activity.
Local physicians say the therapy focuses not just on extending life, but improving how patients feel day to day.
“Medications and pacemakers may add years to your life, but they don’t necessarily add life to your years,” said vascular surgeon Timothy Fuller, MD. “This procedure focuses on day-to-day comfort, making it easier for patients to do the things they love, from going on a hike to spending time with family.”
The device is implanted during a short outpatient procedure at Banner North Colorado Medical Center, with follow-up care provided on the same campus at the CardioVascular Institute of North Colorado. Health officials say this continuity of care is a key benefit for patients in the region.
The hospital also participated in clinical studies leading to the device’s FDA approval, positioning Northern Colorado as part of the broader advancement of cardiac care. In addition to Barostim, the facility continues to expand treatment options, including minimally invasive heart and vascular procedures.
For patients in communities across Larimer and Weld counties, the addition of this therapy expands access to specialized care without requiring travel outside the region.
More information about the therapy is available at
https://www.bannerhealth.com/locations/greeley/cardiovascular-institute-of-north-colorado-cardiology-clinic-15th or by calling (970) 810-0900.
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Attribution: Banner Health