Pill-Sized Pacemaker Keeps Heartbeats In Rhythm
12/5/2017
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, FL (December 5, 2017) – Bayfront Health Port Charlotte today announced that it is the first hospital in Charlotte County to offer a wireless, pill-sized pacemaker to correct heart rhythm for patients with bradycardia. The new heart device, approved for Medicare reimbursement, provides patients with advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker. The first procedure at the Southwest Florida Heart Center – located on the campus of Bayfront Health Port Charlotte – was performed November 3, 2017 and a second on November 16, 2017, both by Jeffrey Brumfield, M.D.
Comparable in size to a large vitamin, physicians at Bayfront Health Port Charlotte have elected to use this new device because unlike traditional pacemakers, the device does not require cardiac wires (leads) or a surgical “pocket” under the skin to deliver pacing therapy.
“The device is small enough to be delivered through a catheter and implanted directly into the heart,” says Jeffrey Brumfield, M.D., FACC, FHRS, board-certified cardiologist. “This allows me to provide a safe alternative to conventional pacemakers in certain clinical situations, without the complications associated with leads and with the subcutaneous pocket on the upper chest.”
This device also incorporates a retrieval feature to enable retrieval when possible; however, the device is designed to be left in the body. For patients who need more than one heart device, this version is designed with a unique feature that enables it to be permanently turned off so it can remain in the body and a new device can be implanted without risk of electrical interaction.
Bradycardia is a condition characterized by a slow or irregular heart rhythm, usually fewer than 60 beats per minute. At this rate, the heart is unable to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body during normal activity or exercise, causing dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath or fainting spells. Pacemakers are the most common way to treat bradycardia to help restore the heart's normal rhythm and relieve symptoms by sending electrical impulses to the heart to increase the heart rate.
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2016, the new pill-sized device is the first and only transcatheter pacing system to be approved for full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and is designed to allow patients to be followed by their physicians and send data remotely via a wireless network.
“We are proud to be the first hospital to offer this advanced cardiac technology to the residents of Charlotte County,” said Tim Cerullo, Market CEO for Bayfront Health Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. “This represents another clinical milestone and our commitment to be the leader in heart care you can trust.”
The Southwest Florida Heart Center team with pacemaker kit
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