Two of Orange County’s biggest hospitals, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian and Providence St. Joseph in Orange, today touted successful implants of the world’s first dual chamber leadless pacemaker in a patient.
The FDA recently approved the Aveir DR, the world’s first dual chamber leadless pacemaker system made by medtech giant Abbott Laboratories.
Newport Beach’s Hoag said its first minimally invasive surgery was a success and marks a new era in cardiac care.
“This advanced technology is a game-changer for cardiac patients,” said Hoag clinical cardiac electrophysiologist Rajesh Banker, M.D., who performed the surgery and served as the principal investigator in a trial of the pacemaker at Hoag.
Providence St. Joseph, based in Orange, said the pacemaker consists of two small AAA battery-sized capsules inserted directly into the heart during a minimally invasive procedure in which patients can return home the same day. Approximately three million Americans live with pacemakers, which are commonly used for patients with a low or abnormal heart rhythm, the hospital said.
“This is truly a breakthrough with a technological advancement that’s like the difference between dial-up internet and high-speed Wi-Fi,” said Dr. Brian Kim, the cardiology and electrophysiology specialist with Providence St. Joseph Hospital who performed the procedure.
“With a majority of patients having the need for dual chamber control, and the increased longevity this new technology affords clinicians, more and younger patients will benefit from this game-changing device,” he added.
Hoag said Aveir DR solves a significant engineering challenge by offering beat-to-beat communication between the two leadless pacemakers in both chambers of the heart.
