Baptist Jacksonville is Florida’s First to Implant World’s Smallest, Wireless Pacemaker
Jacksonville, Florida (PRWEB) August 25, 2014 -- Cardiologists with Baptist Heart Specialists at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville are the first in Florida to implant the world’s smallest pacemaker, which does not require wires to connect to the heart.
One-tenth the size of a conventional pacemaker and comparable in size to a large vitamin, the Micra ™ Transcatheter Pacing System, by Medtronic, is placed directly into the right ventricle of the heart through a catheter inserted in the femoral vein.
The miniature device, which weighs less than a small coin, does not require the use of wires, known as “leads,” to connect to the heart. Attached to the heart via small tines, the pacemaker delivers electrical impulses that help the heart beat normally through an electrode at the end of the device.
In contrast to the traditional pacemaker implant procedures, the Micra TPS implant does not require a surgical incision in the chest and the creation of a “pocket” under the skin. This eliminates a potential source of complications, and any visible sign of the device.
Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville is one of 35 hospitals in the U.S. using the new leadless pacemaker as part of a clinical trial, which is still enrolling patients over the next six months. The other site in Florida is in Miami.
“We are happy and proud of the fact that we were chosen as one of 50 centers because of our strong cardiology research division,” said Scott Lee, MD, cardiac electrophysiologist with Baptist Heart Specialists and director of electrophysiology. “This is another example of our commitment to bring cutting-edge procedures to the community and our patients here at Baptist.”
The cardiologists at Baptist Heart Specialists involved in the trial include Dr. Lee, along with cardiac electrophysiologists Venkata Sagi, MD, and Chris Ruisi, MD. Drs. Lee and Sagi are doing the procedures for this trial.
“This pacemaker is a very revolutionary idea,” Dr. Sagi said. “There are no incisions anywhere in the chest and the patient is walking in eight hours.”
The procedure involves a small hole in the groin area as opposed to the traditional pacemaker which requires an incision under the skin on the chest and wires being inserted through the arm vein.
“It’s a completely different way of doing this procedure and one that can have positive implications down the line for other types of heart devices we implant,” Dr. Lee said. “With this pacemaker being placed directly into the heart, there is minimal risk of any kind of infection.”
David Bussey, 81, of Jacksonville, Dr. Sagi’s patient, was the first patient at Baptist Medical Center for the new pacemaker. Bussey had issues with his heart temporarily stopping in the past and he would pass out. Since the pacemaker, he’s back to gardening and other work around the house.
“He’s doing much better. I’m not scared anymore that he’s going to quit breathing on me,” his wife, Laura Bussey said. “It is just unbelievable how this pacemaker can help people.”
Dr. Sagi said Bussey’s heart still works on its own but if Bussey has a problem, the pacemaker “automatically kicks in and keeps his heart from slowing down.”
For more information on Baptist Heart Specialists, go to http://www.baptistjax.com/doctors/baptist-heart-specialists.
About Baptist Health
Baptist Health is a faith-based, mission-driven system in Northeast Florida comprised of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville; Baptist Medical Center Beaches; Baptist Medical Center Nassau; Baptist Medical Center South; Baptist Clay Medical Campus and Wolfson Children’s Hospital – the region’s only children’s hospital. All Baptist Health hospitals, along with Baptist Home Health Care, have achieved Magnet™ status for excellence in patient care. Baptist Health includes the area’s only dedicated heart hospital; a cancer center; orthopedic institute; women’s services; neurological institute, including comprehensive neurosurgical services, a comprehensive stroke center and two primary stroke centers; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; a full range of psychology and psychiatry services; outpatient facilities; urgent care services; and primary and specialty care physicians’ offices throughout Northeast Florida. For more details, visit baptistjax.com. For information on Wolfson Children’s Hospital, visit http://www.wolfsonchildrens.org.
Deborah Circelli, Baptist Health, +1 (904) 202-4916, [email protected]
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