• The dual chamber leadless pacemaker has flexibility in allowing implantation of a single chamber device with potential for upgrading to a dual chamber device in the future as the clinical situation warrants .
• Supporting this dual chamber therapy , there is communication with a paired co-implanted device using i2i™ technology .
• Subthreshold pulses between implanted devices use the conductive nature of the body ’ s blood pool and myocardial tissue .
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Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital — Dallas | Electrophysiology
Pacemakers : leadless and dual chamber advance
The electrophysiologists on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas were involved with initial studies and subsequently , the commercial use of the world ’ s smallest leadless pacemaker . Leads have long been called the “ Achilles ’ heel ” of pacemakers because they can fracture and are associated with a risk of lung puncture at implant .
The size of a nickel or paperclip , the leadless pacemakers currently available represent a new class of slender , minimally invasive pacemakers that rest entirely inside the heart , specifically the right ventricle . Tiny bits of metal on the end of the pacemaker hook or screw into the heart tissue delivering the pacing current .
Aveir™ VR Leadless Pacemaker — Courtesy of Abbott
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Leadless pacemakers ( FY24 )
Available commercially , the dual chamber leadless pacemaker allows electrophysiologists a treatment for patients with symptomatic sinus node dysfunction or second and third-degree AV block . One of the benefits of this is that the pacemaker can be upgraded over time should the disease progress .
Currently , the dual chamber leadless pacemaker by Abbott is the only one of its kind on the commercial market at this time .
• The dual chamber leadless pacemaker has flexibility in allowing implantation of a single chamber device with potential for upgrading to a dual chamber device in the future as the clinical situation warrants .
• Supporting this dual chamber therapy , there is communication with a paired co-implanted device using i2i™ technology .
• Subthreshold pulses between implanted devices use the conductive nature of the body ’ s blood pool and myocardial tissue .
Lead extraction expertise
Device lead extraction can be a complex procedure requiring skill and experience . Patients from across North Texas are referred to the Dallas campus with complex conditions and who may need removal of leads because of electrical malfunctions , blocked blood vessels or infection . Mechanical cutting tools or laser technology frequently must be used to remove leads that have been implanted for a few years .