by KT Leong
Perak Community Specialist Hospital (PCSH) have crossed another milestone for Private Hospitals when it became the first hospital in the state of Perak to have successfully performed the implantation of the leadless Micra VR pacemaker on July 26, which is an implantable device to rectify bradycardia or slow heart rate in symptomatic patients.
The patient was 84 years old and presented with palpitation and dizziness attributed to sinus pauses and fast atrial fibrillation.
The patients who benefit from the leadless pacemaker technology are usually thin as that would make them more prone to infection or have vascular access preservation as in patients with end stage kidney disease on haemodialysis.
The patient was initially managed with medications prescribed by Resident Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Dr Ng Seng Loong but continued to have symptoms due to “bradycardia”. He was then referred to this highly specialised procedure.
Dr Saravanan, Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist said “Micra pacemakers is the world’s smallest pacemaker with both single (VR) pacing for sinus node disease and dual atrioventricular (AV) synchrony that is used to treat patients who suffer from AV block, which is a form of heart rhythm conduction block, where the electrical signals between the chambers of the heart have been impaired. The lifespan for the device is about eight to 12 years. Unlike most pacemakers that are placed in a patient’s chest with leads running to the heart, Micra is a leadless pacemaker because it’s implanted directly into the right ventricular chamber of the heart. Micra is 93% smaller than conventional pacemakers, about the size of a large vitamin capsule.”
He added “The invention and FDA approval of this pacemaker marks a great step in cardiac pacing technology. We are able to help more patients with AV block, improving their quality of life without subjecting them to the risks of a standard pacing system.”
Patients are required to stay for a duration of one to two days in the hospital. For most patients, the Micra design translates to fewer medical complications and fewer post-implant activity restrictions. In this case, the patient was discharged the following day after he recovered well and displayed no side effects from the procedure.
