Leadless pacemaker

Prelims – Current events of National and International Importance | General Science.

Why in News?

Recently, Venkateshwara Hospital, Chennai, highlighted the successful implantation of a leadless pacemaker in an elderly patient.

Need – Pacemaker eliminates the need for leads (wires) that connect to the heart, which reduces the risk of infection and complications associated with traditional pacemakers.
It helps to reduce patient discomfort, infections, device complications, and dysfunction.
It will benefit elderly patients who with multiple comorbidities, a higher risk of infection and bleeding.
Leadless pacemaker – It is a modern, small device that provides electrical stimulation to the heart.
It does not have wires or a large battery and doesn’t need a surgical pocket for its implantation.
Size and shape – It are 3cm in length, shaped like a bullet, and is minuscule, compared to a conventional pacemaker, which has the size of a matchbox.
Components – The battery and the electrical components are all located in this bullet-shaped capsule.
Implantation – It is implanted directly into the heart through a vein in the leg using a catheter. There is no surgical pocket; the patient can be discharged the very next day.
Advantages – It is easily removable and longer battery life, 16-17 years, compared to a conventional pacemaker.
Limitations – It costs around 15 lakhs, three times more than conventional pacemakers; many patients may not be able to afford it.
A total of 1,300 leadless pacemaker implantations has been performed in India since its introduction in 2018.

Conventional Pacemaker

It has been used over the past decades in millions of patients.
It consists of a battery or pulse generator and one or two long wires or leads, which are placed inside the chambers of the heart through a vein under the collarbone.
The leads are connected to the battery, which is inserted inside a surgical pocket made by making a cut or incision under the skin below the collarbone.
It can be associated with risks like bleeding, infection, and pus formation in the pocket.
Longer healing periods and such complications may be higher in the elderly, frail, and diabetic patients.

Reference

The Indian Express| Leadless Pacemaker