Holzer Offers the Most Advanced Pacemaker
Miniaturized Heart Device Provides Patients with the Most Advanced Pacing Technology Available
Holzer recently announced that it is one of the first hospitals in the region to offer the world’s smallest pacemaker for patients with bradycardia. The Micra® Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) is a new type of heart device, approved for Medicare reimbursement that provides patients with the most advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker.
While at home one evening, Ed Wilson fell getting out of his chair and hit the top of his head. Wilson ended up at Holzer’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit in Gallipolis, where he was required to wear a heart monitor for testing. Upon results, it was deemed necessary for Wilson to receive a pacemaker. He was determined to be a wonderful candidate for the new leadless pacemaker technology Holzer Cardiovascular Institute is offering. “I have not seen any other facility with so much compassion for patients,” stated Wilson. “John Wells, PA-C, and Dr. Rayani have been tremendous. I can’t say enough positive remarks about my experience.”
“It is amazing to receive this type of advanced technology right here at home. It is as advanced as you would receive anywhere,” continued Wilson. “I truly feel comfortable in Holzer’s care.”
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.
Comparable in size to a large vitamin, physicians at Holzer have elected to use Medtronic’s Micra TPS because unlike traditional pacemakers, the device does not require cardiac wires (leads) or a surgical “pocket” under the skin to deliver a pacing therapy. Instead, the device is small enough to be delivered through a catheter and implanted directly into the heart with small tines, providing a safe alternative to conventional pacemakers without the complications associated with leads – all while being cosmetically invisible. The Micra TPS is also designed to automatically adjust pacing therapy based on a patient’s activity levels.
“We are proud to be able to offer this new and innovative technology for our patients,” stated Lori Cremeans, RN, MSN, CCRN, CWOCN, Director, Holzer Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Services. “The advantages of the TPS are immeasurable. It provides our patients with improved cardiovascular treatment and peace of mind. Our Cardiovascular team is proud to be able to offer this as an option for optimal heart health.”
The Micra TPS also incorporates a retrieval feature to enable retrieval of the device when possible; however, the device is designed to be left in the body. For patients who need more than one heart device, the miniaturized Micra TPS was 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.
The Micra TPS is the first and only transcatheter pacing system to be approved for both 1.5 and 3 Tesla (T) full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and is designed to allow patients to be followed by their physicians and send data remotely via the Medtronic CareLink® Network.
The Holzer Cardiovascular Institute has assembled a staff of the region’s most qualified team of cardiac physicians, nurses, and other clinical staff. Using the most technologically advanced cardiac equipment and procedures, The Holzer Cardiovascular Institute is devoted to delivering you the very best in cardiac care. Through inpatient and outpatient treatments including medical management, cardiac catheterizations, surgical treatment, we offer diagnostic cardiac catheterizations as well as cardiac angioplasties/stents. Our physicians manage a variety of heart and vascular conditions including:
coronary artery disease or hardening of the arteries, cardiac arrhythmias or irregular heartbeat, heart valve disease, heart conditions associated with diabetes, lung diseases, vein and vascular diseases, and carotid disease.
Holzer Cardiovascular Institute services include: cardiopulmonary testing, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology/heart rhythm management, peripheral vascular disease, vein center, cardio/pulmonary rehabilitation, and pulmonary services.
Wilson and his wife, Shirley, are residents of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, with their two dogs, Prissy and Sassy. They are both originally from the Charleston, West Virginia area, and have five children. The procedure was performed by Choudhary Rayani, MD, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Holzer Cardiovascular Institute.
For more information, please visit www.holzer.org or call 1-855-4-HOLZER.
