Fuwai Hospital CAM&PUMC implanted the first wireless pacemaker in China
The wireless pacemaker was first implanted in Fuwai Hospital CAM&PUMC on the morning of February 10, 2015. This era in which using wireless pacemaker treated chronic arrhythmia had come. Meanwhile, the achievement indicated that our country took the first step in multi-center clinical research before international arrhythmia treatment equipment came to market. The patient implanting wireless pacemaker was also the first person selected in multi-center clinical research of Fuwai Hospital CAM&PUMC.
The wireless pacemaker is comparable in size to a bullet and less than one-tenth the size of a conventional pacemaker (as shown in figure below). It is 6.7 mm in diameter, 25 mm in length, 0.75 cc in volume and 2g in weight. It has estimated life span of 8~10 years. Its operational parameter could be adjusted by exoteric controller.
Wireless pacemaker is comparable in size to a bullet
The patient, male, 59 years old, had suffered from palpitation and short breath with dizziness for six months. He was hospitalized for atrial fibrillation with long R-R interval for up to 6s on April, 2014. He was inquired to implant single-chamber pacemaker. However, he had suffered from diabetes for many years, and recurrent skin ulcer in front-skin area of left-leg. If adopting conventional methods of implanting pacemaker, he would have difficulty in postoperative wound healing and great risks of wound infection. The patient and his relative were very worried about it.
The clinical physicians, after fully communicated with the patient and his relative, chose Medtronic's Micra® Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) with no need to implant endocardial leads and electrical impulses under skin, thereby greatly reducing risks of wound infection.
The patient was operated under intravenous narcosis. After femoral artery puncture, Micra® Transcatheter Pacing System was put into right ventricular apical by specialized delivery system. Later, flexion-distraction text and pacing text were performed to demonstrate whether pacemaker's position and parameter settings were right. The while operation lasted for 90 minutes. The patient didn't feel uncomfortable during operation.
The patient could get off bed two days after surgery. Besides, every parameter of pacemaker showed normal. Now, he has been discharged from hospital after recovery.
Since implantable heart pacemakers come to market, it has been the preferred method in treating chronic arrhythmia and had saved many lives. Conventional implantable pacemakers require leads connecting to endocardium or a surgical 'pocket' under the skin for placing electrical impulses. Thus, this method may involve in risks including leads removal, leads break, thrombogenesis and subcutaneous pouch infection. These risks could not only affect the normal operation of pacemakers, but also affect patients' living quality, even threaten their lives.
Wireless pacemakers integrate pulse generator and pacing electrodes and don't require endocardial leads. It is directly implanted into patients' heart in the form of micro capsule without a surgical 'pocket' under the skin. Thus, the method has no risk of leads injury and surgical infection and suits patients', especially young female patients' aesthetic needs. Meanwhile, the wireless pacemakers don't affect patients' activities of upper limbs and greatly increase their living quality.
Wireless pacemakers are directly implanted into patients' heart in the form of micro capsul
Fuwai Hospital CAM&PUMC has successfully completed implantation of the first wireless pacemaker in China and will continue to investigate and research in the way of wireless pacemakers. Believe or not, the wireless pacing era will come in the future.
(Fuwai Hospital CAM&PUMC arrhythmia center, Dai Yan and Zheng Xiaolin reported)
The article quoted from < Chinese Circulation Journal>