What is Leadless Pacemaker?

It’s a pacemaker without wires and done without performing any surgery on your body.

It is like a capsule, a size of a bullet which itself contains a battery and pacing technology. It is inserted via right femoral vein into the right atrium under local anaesthesia. Just like a stent is place in the heart blood vessels.

Who is a candidate for a leadless pacemaker?

Not everyone is a candidate for a leadless pacemaker. Currently, the device is available only for patients with certain medical conditions and a slow heart rate (bradycardia) who need single-chamber pacing only. Like all pacemakers, leadless pacemakers require approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and sometimes there are additional restrictions upon availability for an individual patient. Your doctor can tell you if you are a candidate for a leadless pacemaker after a review of your medical history, heart rhythm, and the results of medical tests. You may need an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) or other noninvasive tests.

What are the benefits of a leadless pacemaker?

• It does not require connecting leads (wires) or a generator, or a creation of a surgical pocket on the chest. These are the most common causes of traditional pacemaker complications over the long-term, and may affect up to 1 in 10 patients.
• When the leadless device is in place, there is no lump under the skin on the chest or leads anchored to the muscle bed. Sometimes these cause minor discomfort for patients who live with traditional pacemakers. The incisional access for a traditional pacemaker and each generator replacement leaves a scar that is a cosmetic concern for some patients.
• The procedure uses a catheter to place the device. The procedure typically takes less time than a traditional pacemaker implant procedure.
• Because there are no wires or generator, you do not need to limit upper body activity after the implant.

What happens after the procedure?

You will be kept in the ICU under observation for 1 day and 1 day in a ward followed by discharge.