- Vinalopó is the second center in the province of Alicante and the only hospital in Elche to perform this type of intervention.
- The patient, 51 years old and undergoing two heart valve diseases, was discharged after 48 hours.
- The leadless pacemaker is 93% smaller and reduces the likelihood of complications arising from conventional pacemakers
El Vinalopó University Hospital, of the health group Ribera, has successfully implanted the first wire-free pacemaker, thus becoming the first hospital in Elche and the second in the province of Alicante, to perform this type of intervention. It is a device that allows the elimination of complications related to the manipulation of the cables for their connection to the heart through the veins. In addition, it represents an improvement due to its reduced size (93% smaller) and the elimination of the subcutaneous pocket where conventional pacemakers are placed.
The Electrophysiology and Arrhythmias Unit has implanted this first device in a 51-year-old patient who underwent heart surgery for two valve diseases and who, after the intervention, required a pacemaker implantation. “We decided to implant the device without cables to avoid any damage to the tricuspid valve that had been operated on. After the intervention, the patient was discharged 48 hours later in perfect health,” explains Dr. Luis González, head of the Unit.
Pacemakers are implantable devices used to treat people with certain heart rhythm disorders. “For its placement, a surgical intervention is necessary that consists of implanting an electrical impulse generator (cell or battery) and an intravenous cable-electrode. “One end of the electrode is placed on the inner wall of the heart and the other end is connected to the generator.”
Conventional pacemakers require the doctor to make a surgical incision in the chest, where the pacemaker sits permanently in a 'pocket' that forms under the skin. The doctor then implants the pacemaker wires through the veins until they reach the heart.
Wireless and 93% smaller
By placing directly on the heart without the need for a surgical pocket or pacing wires, leadless pacemakers reduce the risk of complications. This device, designed by Medtronic, is 93% smaller than a conventional pacemaker, measuring about 2,5 centimeters, having a volume of 0,8 cubic centimeters and weighing only 2 grams. It is made up of a pulse generator that includes a battery and an electrode that sends impulses to the heart when it recognizes a problem with the heart rhythm and has small legs that serve to anchor it to the wall of the right ventricle.
The leadless pacemaker offers a minimally invasive option, as it is implanted through the femoral vein with a steerable catheter, so neither the surgical pocket nor leads are necessary, reducing the overall incidence of complications in near the fifty%. In addition, it increases patient satisfaction because it does not leave scars or lumps under the skin.