Leadless Pacemakers Eliminating Wires, Risk of Infection

HERIAN*, an octogenarian, was a post-bypass surgery patient, who also underwent a stent implantation. He later developed a stent re-block which was opened again with a new technology called drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @Chennai

However, very recently he developed an episode of unconsciousness. To completely understand his condition, he was put under a 24-hour evaluation with ECG monitoring. "During this period, he developed another episode of unconsciousness and the ECG showed that the heart had stopped completely for over six seconds," said Dr Binoy John, the head of interventional cardiology at Venkataeshwara Hospital, Nandanam, Chennai. This clearly pointed out to the heart's pacemaker, called the SA node, had failed and the patient needed an artificial pacemaker implantation to prevent another cardiac arrest, Dr John added. The SA node is what generates heart beats, normally at rates of 60-100 beats per minute. Considering the advanced age and health history, the patient was implanted with a leadless pacemaker a