The 88-year-old man in Chengdu successfully implanted a leadless pacemaker with less than 2 grams of "capsule" that will keep the heart beating for more than 12 years

  China News Service, Chengdu, August 10 (Wang Jue) On the 9th, 88-year-old grandmother Liu, who is suffering from "sick sinus syndrome" and Alzheimer's disease, was discharged from hospital. Three days ago, Grandma Liu successfully implanted the Micra leadless pacemaker at the Chengdu Fifth Hospital. She was the first patient in the hospital to receive a leadless pacemaker implantation. It is reported that the pacemaker is less than 2 grams, has a battery life of more than 12 years, and does not require surgery on the chest. This technology currently represents the highest level in the field of pacing implants.

  Grandma Liu, 88 years old this year, suffered repeated fainting and fell and went to Chengdu Fifth Hospital for treatment. At the time of admission this time, the old man’s heartbeat was only 30 beats per minute, and he was diagnosed as "sick sinus syndrome." There is currently no effective drug treatment for this disease, and there is a risk of sudden death at any time. Implantation of a pacemaker is the only treatment.

Comparing the size of Micra pacemaker with cold capsule and AAA battery. Photo courtesy of Chengdu Fifth Hospital

  Lang Mingjian, director of the cardiology department of the hospital, said that Grandma Liu also suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and weighs only 40 kg. If a traditional pacemaker needs to be implanted under the skin, patients cannot cooperate during and after surgery, and wound management is difficult. , The risk of pacemaker pocket bleeding and infection is extremely high.

  After careful program analysis led by the hospital’s cardiac pacing and electrophysiology team, Lang Mingjian believes that leadless pacemaker implantation technology can better resolve a series of problems: the leadless pacemaker does not need to be operated on the chest to make a pocket, Incision, no scar, can effectively reduce the risk of trauma and infection. After thorough communication with the patient’s family, it was finally decided to implant the Micra leadless pacemaker for Grandma Liu.

Grandma Liu was implanted in a leadless pacemaker surgery. Photo courtesy of Chengdu Fifth Hospital

  According to Director Lang, the Micra leadless pacemaker, as the name suggests, is a pacemaker without a lead. It is less than 2 grams, just like a capsule, and is also called a "capsule pacemaker". Its volume and weight are only traditional pacemakers. One tenth of the device.

  On the morning of August 6, under the guidance of the Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, the Department of Anesthesiology and Intervention Room of Chengdu Fifth Hospital cooperated fully. The pacing team of Department of Cardiology successfully implanted the pacemaker into the right ventricular septum of Grandma Liu through the catheter. In the lower middle part, the operation was very smooth and only took 22 minutes! After the operation, Grandma Liu's heartbeat recovered to 60 beats per minute.

  Lang Mingjian also said that although the Micra leadless pacemaker is small, it has a life span of more than 12 years. It is also compatible with 3.0T MRI scans, which can provide continuous and stable kinetic energy for the heart and greatly improve the quality of life of patients. (Finish)