IAB Catheter

An intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is a device that helps your heart pump more blood. You may need it if your heart cannot pump enough blood for your body. The IABP consists of a thin, flexible tube called a catheter. Attached to the tip of the catheter is a long balloon. This is called an intra-aortic balloon, or IAB. The other end of the catheter attaches to a computer console.  

This console has a mechanism for inflating and deflating the balloon at the correct time when your heart beats.