TAMPA, Fla. — Blood clots can be deadly, and even if doctor's act quickly and break up the clot, it can leave a lot of damage behind.

What You Need To Know

  • Roderick Shirley says his life was saved by the world's smallest heart pump after he suffered from a blood clot

  • The Impella RP platform includes the world’s smallest percutaneous right heart mechanical circulatory support (MCS) technologies designed to help patients achieve native heart recovery

  • AdventHealth Tampa is the third non-transplant hospital in Florida and the second non-transplant hospital in Tampa Bay to successfully use this device

  • AdventHealth said people can call 844-600-5151 or visit PepinHeartTampa.com for an appointment at the AdventHealth Pepin Heart Institute

“Oh my hero," said Elsie Shirley, as soon as she saw Dr. Oliver Abela inside AdventHealth Tampa.

“Had it not been for you, I would not have been here today," said her husband, Roderick Shirley.

Roderick Shirley was a patient a few months ago.

“I am so happy that you are here," said Abela, who is an interventional and structural cardiologist.

Abela was not sure at one point if Roderick Shirley would survive, after suffering from a massive blood clot.

“It is frightening, very frightening," said Roderick Shirley.

“A part of the clot broke off, and was going to his lungs. And he coded. He coded three times. And those wonderful doctors saved his life," said Elsie Shirley.

Roderick Shirley was given medication to break up the clot, but more needed to be done to heal him. The damage the clot did was to the right side of his heart. 

“When his vitals were really poor, you know Dr. Abela, he was so honest and humble. He said to me, 'Ya know, Elsie, I don’t know if I can do that. Because his vitals were not good. We are going to have to pray,'" said Elsie Shirley. 

Abela pulled up a picture of the clot and the damage that was done on a screen inside AdventHealth Tampa. 

“We are looking at the pulmonary angiography, which means the X-ray picture of the lung arteries," said Abela. 

Roderick Shirley did improve enough to install the world's smallest heart pump called an Impella RP Flex.

“It is pulling blood from the right atrium, and it is ejecting the blood with a good amount of force, into the pulmonary artery doing the work for the right ventricle, which is in this area here," said Abela. 

The device is temporary, used only for a number of days before it is removed. 

“Those few days are the difference between life and death often. Before the device was present, we had just used strong medications that keep blood pressure up, but those same medications are actually very toxic to the body," said Abela. 

What was more unique is this pump is often inserted on a person's left side. Roderick Shirley was the first person doctors at AdventHealth inserted it on the right side. This is something only recently FDA approved.

It is a big deal for other patients going through right heart failure in the future, and a big deal for Roderick Shirley and Elsie Shirley. 

“The nurses, the doctors. I am telling you, I can’t say enough about this hospital, and how grateful we are," said the pair. 

AdventHealth Tampa is the third non-transplant hospital in Florida and the second non-transplant hospital in Tampa Bay to successfully use this device. 

AdventHealth said people can call 844-600-5151 or visit PepinHeartTampa.com for an appointment at the AdventHealth Pepin Heart Institute.