MountainView Regional Medical Center has implanted a new form of pacemaker and says it is the first in southern New Mexico to do so.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the dual chamber leadless pacemaker system in July of 2023. The new pacemaker offers a new way to implant a pacemaker.
MountainView Cardiologist Dr. Craig Cannon trained in the new implantation procedure. He told the Bulletin that it is, “a little safer and a lot more comfortable than the old-fashioned way.”
The dual chamber leadless pacemaker is implanted through an incision in the groin where two small capsules are then moved through blood vessels to the heart. There one capsule is attached to the right atrium and the other is attached to the right ventricle.
Once implanted, the two capsules send signals through the blood to help the heart beat more regularly.
Traditional pacemakers have electrodes connected by wires to the generator — which is a power station referred to as a ‘can’ — that powers the system. The new version gets rid of the can, which looks like a metal casing, and the wires and puts the batteries inside of the capsules.
“It’s much easier to live with than a normal pacemaker.” Dr. Cannon explained. “Not having the can under your clavicle, shoulder bone, makes it a lot more comfortable.”
The capsules will have to be replaced every 7-10 years when the batteries die, he said.
“The purpose is the same as all pacemakers, to keep the heart from beating too slowly,” Dr. Cannon said. “But the dual chamber leadless pacemaker system can be a more effective solution for some patients.”
This method has a lower risk of infection and will not trigger metal detectors.
