Giannetto still makes movie magic thanks to a “friend” in his heart

Giannetto De Rossi, who has created heart-stopping special effects in movies for more than 60 years, is thankful for the special effect of an implanted “friend” who helps protect his heart.

With a passion for the film industry, the 78-year-old Italian make-up and special effects artist has worked with legendary film directors such as Federico Fellini and Bernardo Bertolucci. His wide-ranging and extensive list of film credits include Cleopatra, Casanova and many horror pictures.

Several years ago, after a particularly difficult movie, Giannetto began to have heart problems and ended up having triple-bypass surgery. Later, he was rushed to the emergency room with an acute episode of heart failure. His heart issues put constraints on what had been an active lifestyle.

“I was used to being active, but it took me 15 minutes to walk 20 meters to get the mail,” Giannetto said.

It was the heart failure event that prompted his physicians to implant Giannetto with a device equipped with the HeartLogic^TM Heart Failure (HF) Diagnostic, a technology pre-programmed into some Boston Scientific devices that can detect early signs of worsening heart failure.[1]

The HeartLogic HF Diagnostic uses multiple sensors to track physiological trends, combines them into one composite index and sends a proactive alert to his physician, warning of potential worsening heart failure. Research shows that the device issues alerts a median of 34 days before heart failure events, allowing time for treatment to prevent the event.[2] An estimated 1.1 million patients in the U.S. alone are hospitalized for heart failure events each year, many of whom (25%) have to be readmitted within a month.[3]

Since receiving the implant, Giannetto’s HeartLogic HF Diagnostic has issued three alerts. As a result, Giannetto’s care providers were able to take actions to avoid major heart failure events that could have greatly diminished his quality of life and led to costly hospitalizations and treatments.[4]

“I have a friend here in my heart,” Giannetto said, referring to his HeartLogic implant. “My friend allows me to make the most of my abilities.”

That means continuing to do what he loves: bringing delight, awe, shock and even horror to movie audiences worldwide.

Here is Giannetto’s story: