North Carolina resident Connie Bowling had his first heart attack more than 20 years ago. In early 2023, he underwent a quadruple bypass at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in the North Carolina & Georgia Division, where he had received ongoing care for his heart over the years. Although his condition improved, heart failure symptoms gradually returned. One year after surgery, Connie went into cardiogenic shock—his heart was working so poorly, the rest of his organs were shutting down.
“We thought we were going to lose our dad,” said Gabrielle Bowling, Connie’s daughter. “He was falling frequently, was on multiple medical drips, could barely eat or sleep, and had no interest in socializing. I told his doctors to do whatever they could to save my dad.”
Dr. Bartlomiej (Bart) Imielski, cardiothoracic surgeon and assistant professor of Cardiac Surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, implanted a temporary heart pump to allow Connie’s heart to rest. But it didn’t give him freedom to leave the hospital. Connie needed a long-term solution—a left ventricular assist device (LVAD).
An LVAD is a mechanical heart pump that circulates blood and oxygen throughout the body. It isn’t recommended for patients like Connie because he’s deaf and would not hear the alarms the device uses to notify patients of low batteries, low flow or pumping problems. The patient must respond quickly to alarms to keep the pump going.
Jeffrey Motes, nurse manager, Cardiology and Vascular Services, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, contacted a team at a New York hospital that had successfully implanted an LVAD device in a patient who was deaf.
The New York hospital team used an audio-to-tactile converter in the LVAD. The converter uses a microphone to sense an LVAD alarm, then signals a pager in the device that vibrates to notify the patient that the LVAD needs attention. At night, the converter is connected to a vibrating pad on the mattress of the patient’s bed. If an alarm goes off, the bed vibrates to wake the patient.
The converter is usually used to alert deaf patients to events like a crying baby or doorbell, and it’s not approved for use with a medical device. When Jeffrey contacted the manufacturer, it agreed to sell it for off-label use, leaving Jeffrey and his team responsible for adapting it to the LVAD and securing necessary permissions.
The hospital’s cardiac care providers, risk management, legal team and Jeffrey worked together to develop and approve Connie’s treatment plan using the audio-to-tactile device with the LVAD. But there was one more hurdle that the team overcame. The LVAD is not FDA-approved for use with patients who are deaf. However, Jeffrey secured the FDA’s permission, pointing out this was the patient’s best option for regaining some independence.
When Connie was discharged, his wife, three daughters and their families came to the hospital to surprise him with special T-shirts they had made to honor his return home.
Reflecting on her dad’s journey, Gabrielle appreciates how this health crisis led to “something beautiful.” Inspired by her experience caring for her dad, she plans to attend nursing school and specialize in cardiac ICU care.
In September 2025, Gabrielle is getting married, and Connie will attend his daughter’s wedding with his family. “The LVAD saved my life,” he says. “If not for that surgery, I absolutely wouldn’t be here today.”
Connie recently celebrated his one-year anniversary post-LVAD, said Dr. Barbara Pisani, program director of the Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Program, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, and professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
“This would not have occurred if we had not boldly considered use of novel technology that allows patients who previously would have succumbed to their disease to live a longer life with better quality,” Dr. Pisani said. “In the past, a hearing-impaired patient would not have had the option of advanced heart failure therapies. We ensure all patients have access to high-quality care, which sometimes requires innovation, creative solutions and a team approach.”
