Thiruvananthapuram MCH implants leadless pacemaker successfully

The Cardiology department of Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thiruvananthapuram, has successfully treated brady arrhythmia (heart rhythm disorder) in a 74-year-old patient from Anchal by implanting Micra AV, said to be the smallest leadless pacemaker in large capsule size, directly into the heart through a minimally invasive procedure.

Lead-free pacemakers have become the cornerstone in the curative treatment of heart rhythm disturbances and atrioventricular (AV) blocks, and the government medical college here is the first public sector hospital to successfully implant it.

Pacemakers provide pacing support to maintain heart rate and rhythm, reducing the risk of complications such as heart failure caused by irregular heartbeats. Conventional pacemakers are the size of a matchbox and have electrical leads that are implanted into patients, usually through a surgical pocket created under the skin.

Lead-free pacemakers are implanted directly into the right ventricle of the heart through the femoral vein in the leg.

Lead-free pacemakers thus eliminate lead-related infection, dislocation, and the need to create surgical pockets under the skin.

The minimally invasive procedure was carried out under the leadership of a team headed by Mathew Iype, head of the department of Cardiology, senior Professors Sibu Mathew, B. Krishnakumar and pacemaker implantation specialist Arun Gopi.