Chennai : Doctors at Fortis Malar Hospitalsuccessfully implanted the state-of-the-artLeadless pacemaker on a 75-year-old patientrecently. The device is the smallest and lightest pacemaker in the world. The patient wasadmitted to the hospital with acomplete heart block along with complaints of excessive tiredness. Dr E Babu, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Fortis Malar Hospital performed the successful procedure.

The patient had earlier undergone coronary angioplasty stenting for which he has been prescribed antiplatelet blood-thinner therapy. A diagnosis revealed that his heart had third-degree Atrioventricular block and the heart rate had dropped to 40 beats per minute.In view of the patients’ age, previous surgery and the current pandemic, a Leadless Permanent Pacemaker wasimplanted without interrupting his blood-thinner medication and he was discharged within 24 hours after the procedure.

Having performed the highest number of Leadless Pacemaker procedures in Tamil Nadu, Dr.E Babu commented saying “Keeping in mind the on-going pandemic and patient’s safety,the world’s smallest and lightest Pacemaker –MICRA Leadless Permanent Pacemakerwas implanted within the right ventricle chamber of the patient’s heart through a catheter. Unlike the conventional pacemaker which is larger in size with a long lead and requiresa longer patient recovery time, the MICRA Leadless Permanent Pacemaker is MRI compatible,weighs less than 2 grams and has a longevityusage of 12 years. This 30 minute Pacemaker procedure also allowed the patient to continue taking his blood-thinner medication and was discharged within 24 hours.”