Wireless pacemaker fitted on two patients in the UK
Could revolutionise treatment of heart rhythm problems The new device is a tenth of the size of current pacemakers
Wire-free pacemakers the size of a pill have been fitted in British patients for the first time.
The operations have been described as a ‘milestone moment’ that could revolutionise the treatment of heart rhythm problems and cut the risks linked to traditional pacemakers.
The new pacemaker, a tenth of the size of current devices, is the smallest in the world and is tucked inside the heart itself via a catheter.
As it is self-contained, it dispenses with wiring into the heart needed by normal pacemakers, which often breaks and means the patient’s chest has to be opened again.
And, as the surgery involved with the new device is minimal, it should reduce the danger of potentially lethal infections developing, and the patient’s recovery time is rapid.
Professor John Morgan, who operated at Southampton General Hospital on a man in his early 20s and one in his mid 60s, said that while the existing technology is ‘fantastic’ and has ‘saved countless lives’, it has its drawbacks.
Pacemakers regulate the heart’s rhythm and are implanted in more than 40,000 patients in England each year.
Although they have been getting smaller in recent years – the first to be implanted, in the 1950s, were the size of a small tin of shoe polish – they are still too big to be placed inside the heart itself and so are put in the upper chest.
This involves a wound up to 2in across. The pacemaker is then connected to the heart via wires, but these can be pulled out of place or snap over time. This happens in more than one in 100 cases and means the patient will have to have a second, more complicated, operation.
In contrast, the new device, called the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System, is small enough to be ferried into the heart via a catheter that is passed up through the groin. And, because it is placed in the heart, there are no wires to be attached.
Professor Morgan, who also holds an honorary post at Southampton University, said: ‘While pacemakers have saved countless thousands of lives over the past seven decades since the first devices were implanted, one of the major drawbacks has been complications related to the pacing lead that is put in to deliver electrical impulses to the heart. This is a big step forward in patient treatment and a milestone for cardiac rhythm management in the UK.’ – Professor John Morgan
Now we have pacemakers that are so small – not much larger than an antibiotic pill – they can be attached directly to the inside of the heart, all the problems related to the old-fashioned pacemaker lead are abolished.’
The simpler operation takes as little as ten minutes and patients can get back to normal in just two to three days, compared with six weeks currently.
Student Thomas Perris, who had a very slow heartbeat that was sapping his energy, opted for the new device because he did not want to be left with a large scar on his chest at the age of 21. Mr Perris, of Southampton, said: ‘Every time I stood up, I was dizzy and light-headed. Now I’m a lot happier.’
The Southampton operations are part of a Europe-wide trial of one of three miniature, wireless pacemakers that are in development. The device, made by US firm Medtronic, could be suitable for around a third of pacemaker operations.
Professor Morgan said: ‘This is a big step forward in patient treatment and a milestone for cardiac rhythm management in the UK.’
Thembi Nkala, of the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘There has been an impressive evolution in pacemaker design and efficiency over the years.
‘This new development promises to be more remarkable as it is wireless, minimally invasive and carries fewer complications.
‘However, it’s important that we patiently await the completion of this study before this novel device is considered for general public use.’
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