Thiruvananthapuram MCH implants leadless pacemaker successfully

The Cardiology department at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) 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 the size of a large capsule, directly into the heart through a minimally invasive procedure.

Leadless pacemakers have become the cornerstone in remedial treatment of heart rhythm disorders and atrioventricular (AV) blocks and the government medical college here is the first public sector hospital to implant it successfully.

Pacemakers provide pacing support to maintain heart rate and rhythm, reducing the risk of complications like heart failure due to irregular heart beats. Traditional pacemakers are the size of a match box and have electrical leads which are usually implanted into the patients by making a surgical pocket under the skin.

Leadless pacemakers, on the other hand, are implanted directly into the heart’s right ventricle, via the femoral vein in the leg.

Leadless pacemakers thus do away with the risks of lead-related infection, dislodgement and the need to create surgical pockets under the skin.

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