Posted in | News | Motion Sensor

OSU Wexner Medical Center Implants Pill-Sized Leadless Heart Pacemaker

It’s about the size of a large vitamin pill and, for the first time in Ohio, the smallest heart pacemaker available is being tested at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Her new pacemaker is barely bigger than one pill Mary Lou Trejo takes to control her heart condition.

Doctors at Ohio State’s Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital recently implanted the tiny device in a Columbus woman as part of a global clinical trial to test its safety and effectiveness. Unlike conventional pacemakers, which require a chest incision and electrical leads that run through a vein to the heart, this device is wireless and is threaded through a catheter, then attached directly to the heart muscle.

“With this investigational device, the battery, the pacing electrodes, everything is in a little piece of metal sitting inside the heart. We believe that will eliminate a lot of risk for infection and complications,” said Dr. John Hummel, a cardiologist and principal investigator of the trial at Ohio State.

If this transcatheter, leadless pacemaker technology works the way doctors hope, they say it could not only benefit patients, but the minimally invasive approach would be more efficient.

“I think this could be a significant development in pacing procedures. This could cut our procedure time by more than half,” said Dr. Ralph Augostini, a cardiologist at Ohio State.

For now, the tiny pacemaker is being tested in people with bradycardia who need single chamber ventricular pacing. Bradycardia is a slow, irregular heart rhythm which prevents the heart from pumping enough blood into the body. This can cause fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath and fainting.

A former librarian, 77-year-old Mary Lou Trejo of Columbus, had been suffering from atrial fibrillation for years. Her heart had slowed, despite medication and other treatments to restore rhythm, so she was eager to be among the first in the United States to participate in this clinical trial.

“The new pacemaker sounded so simple, and I have always thought research is important, so I thought this is a way I could contribute,” Trejo said.

The trial will enroll 780 patients in 50 centers worldwide. Investigators are expected to report initial results later this year, once the first 60 patients have been followed for three months.

The Micra Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) is made by Medtronic, which is funding the clinical trial. Hummel is a consultant for Medtronic. Augostini serves on a Medtronic advisory board.

Tell Us What You Think

Do you have a review, update or anything you would like to add to this news story?

Leave your feedback
Your comment type
Submit

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.