Yahoo News New pacemaker technology fitted for the first time in the Humber region
Cardiology staff have been celebrating after carrying out the Humber region's first procedures to fit completely leadless pacemakers.
The first patients underwent their surgery at Castle Hill Hospital, in Cottingham, East Yorkshire, this week.
The main reason for needing a pacemaker is a heart rhythm issue that significantly slows down the heart, potentially causing the patient to faint or lose consciousness.
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A leadless pacemaker is a single-piece device that is implanted directly into the heart through a vein. Unlike conventional pacemakers, it doesn't require a separate battery under the skin or leads connecting to the heart.
The device, which measures about 3 to 4 centimetres long and weighs roughly 2 grams, looks like a small metal cylinder and is smaller than a AAA battery. Signals from the leadless pacemaker assist in maintaining a regular heart rhythm.
On Wednesday, three patients underwent day surgery in the Cardiac Catheter labs at Castle Hill Hospital.
Leadless pacemakers offer substantial benefits over traditional pacemakers. Patients experience a decreased risk of complications and a minimally invasive procedure, resulting in faster recovery times and a lower likelihood of infection.
The device's smaller size makes it more comfortable, eliminating the lump under the skin on the chest associated with traditional pacemakers.
The leadless pacemaker represents a major leap in technology, being 90 per cent smaller than standard pacemakers and they are also safe for MRI scans. The innovative device leaves no chest incision or scar, causing minimal interference with day-to-day activities.
Impressively, the battery life of the leadless pacemaker extends up to 16 years, in contrast to the conventional pacemaker's 10-year lifespan.
Dr Renjith Antony, consultant cardiologist, said: "These devices are much more comfortable for the patient, smaller and the operation is much less invasive. The introduction of leadless pacemakers represents a significant advancement in cardiac care for our region.
"Our patients can now benefit from a safer, more comfortable, and longer-lasting solution for managing heart rhythm disorders."
Patients who might favour the leadless pacemaker include those unable to have traditional pacemakers because of difficulties accessing the heart via the chest veins. It's also preferable for individuals with indwelling catheters or those undergoing dialysis, as these factors heighten the risk of infection when using traditional pacemakers.
Several patient groups stand to gain from this advancement in medical technology. These include individuals lacking standard upper limb venous access, those with prior device infections, people under 40 seeking to preserve chest veins, patients undergoing radiotherapy, candidates for surgery in the standard pacemaker region, highly immunocompromised persons, individuals with congenital heart disease, and those with tricuspid valve dysfunction.
Leadless pacemakers substantially cut the risk of infection and related complications.
Mike Wills, aged 75, had the honour of being the first recipient of a leadless pacemaker in the East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire area. Being entirely reliant on a pacemaker for the past 25 years, Mike has experienced six different devices throughout this time.
Having previously grappled with an infection stemming from pacemaker leads, he is positive about the new device.
Mike said: "The team at Castle Hill have been looking after me since 2000/2001. I owe my life to the team over and over again. It's marvellous how much the technology has advanced over the years.
"I've had numerous procedures, awake and under anaesthetic. There's a lot of things people don't realise about pacemakers, even escalators can interfere with them, so this new model sounds much more positive compared to the old ones but I wouldn't be here without them."
Not every patient will be a suitable candidate for a leadless device. Last year, 600 conventional pacemakers were implanted.
It's projected that between five to ten leadless devices will be installed at Castle Hill Hospital in the first year.
