Palermo, wireless pacemaker implanted on an 88-year-old patient at the Fattoria

It is not implanted under the skin, but directly inside the heart from a percutaneous venous access and without any surgical operation. It is the wireless pacemaker implanted for the first time at the Ingrassia hospital in Palermo on an 88-year-old patient with paroxysmal atrioventricular block and syncope.

The Micra Transcatheter Pacing System – says a note from Asp – is currently the only “leadless pacemaker” (wireless) on the market and has the advantage of avoiding possible complications related to the presence of leads in the implant pocket.

“The Ingrassia hospital – underlines the general director of the Palermo ASP Daniela Faraoni – confirms itself as the hospital of reference of strategic importance in the health organization of complex activities also under the aspect of innovation”.

The wireless pacemaker was implanted by Mirko Luparelli, assisted by Daniele Pieri and the nurse Alfredo Galati of the hemodynamics team of the cardiology unit of the hospital which is part of the Asp network of Palermo.

«The procedure is percutaneous – explains the head of cardiology, Sergio Fasullo – and the new implant allows a more rapid resumption of the patient’s normal activities, also improving comfort. The current indications for leadless pacemaker implantation – he adds – concern only a restricted category of patients with need for single chamber pacing, such as patients with permanent atrial fibrillation with slow ventricular response or in some cases of paroxysmal atrioventricular block, or patients with history of infections secondary to intracardiac devices. The controls – concludes Fasullo – follow the same follow-up channels as the traditional pacemaker ».