The Heart Center at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center has impeccable timing when it comes to announcing multiple first-ever procedures its conducted in less than a month’s time – especially with February recognized as American Heart Month.
First, the Heart Center recently successfully conducted its first-ever cardioMEMS HF system procedure - a new implantable, wireless monitoring sensor, the size of a small paperclip, to manage heart failure (HF).
Now, just weeks later, the Heart Center is touting seamless completion of its first-ever implantation of the world’s smallest leadless pacemaker in the treatment of bradycardia - a condition in which the heart beats too slowly.
Mission Partners from the hospital’s cardiology services specialty program implanted Medtronic’s Micra™ leadless pacemaker – which is the world’s smallest pacemaker — leaving no bump under the skin, no chest scar, and requiring no lead. Micra is completely self-contained within the heart and provides the therapy needed without a visible or physical reminder of a medical device.
“A healthy heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute, pumping about 284 liters of blood every hour. When you have bradycardia, the heart beats fewer than 60 times per minute,” says Dennis M. Sands, M.D., chief medical officer, OSF Saint Anthony’s. “At that rate, the heart may not be able to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body during activity or exercise. As a result, you might feel dizzy, tired, short of breath, or have fainting spells.”
The Micra leadless pacemaker implantation procedure was led by Phillip Mar, M.D., a board-certified electrophysiologist with SLUCare/SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, whose interests encompass cardiac ablation, pacemakers, and supraventricular tachycardia.
“A strong cardiology services specialty program is vital to any hospital of any size, no matter its geographic location,” says Zach Yoder, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, president, OSF Saint Anthony’s. “By fully embracing our meaningful collaboration with SLUCare Physician Group, we’re able to bring exceptional medical and surgical cardiologists to the Riverbend region. Doing so ensures that residents have more convenient access to high-quality, sustainable, and innovative cardiac care.”
OSF Saint Anthony’s and SSM Health share a commitment to deliver high-quality, compassionate, and affordable care to Riverbend region communities.
“The strategic affiliation between OSF Saint Anthony’s and SLUCare Physician Group allows us to bring cardiology expertise to our cardiology services specialty program. Together, we’re making sure every patient gets exceptional care that is local, integrated, and accessible to the latest innovations in cardiac care and treatment,” says Yoder.
Only a doctor can determine if an individual has bradycardia and, if so, how far it has progressed. To rule out or confirm the diagnosis of bradycardia, one or several diagnostic tests may be ordered, depending on the suspected heart rhythm problem.
These tests may include:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Exercise ECG, or stress test (measures your heart rhythm while you’re engaged in a physical activity)
- Holter or event monitor
- Insertable cardiac monitor
- External loop recorder
- Tilt table test
- Electrophysiology study (EP Study)
Treatment strategies vary, depending on a patient’s bradycardia causes and symptoms. A doctor might prescribe new medications or adjust the doses of medications that a patient is currently taking to restore his/her normal heart rate. If this fails to restore the patient’s normal heartbeat, a pacemaker can regulate his/her heart’s rhythm.
A pacemaker is designed to mimic the heart’s natural rhythm. By sending an impulse when the heart’s rhythm is slow or interrupted, it effectively regulates the heart rate automatically, freeing the patient to enjoy his/her regular activities.
A pacemaker is designed to mimic the heart’s natural rhythm when there are disturbances, such as pauses, in the natural rhythm. The pacemaker has two main purposes — pacing and sensing:
- Pacing: A pacemaker will send an electrical impulse to the heart when the heart’s own rhythm is too slow or interrupted.
- Sensing: A pacemaker will also “sense” (monitor) the heart’s natural electrical activity. When the pacemaker senses a natural heartbeat, it will not deliver a pacing pulse.
Most pacemakers require a device (about the size of a tea bag) to be surgically implanted under the skin in the upper chest. The system also requires a lead or leads to be guided through the vein into the heart. The lead carries electrical signals from the pacemaker to the heart to help it beat regularly.
Micra is 93% smaller than traditional pacemakers. It is comparable to the size of a large vitamin capsule and has a battery that typically lasts between 16 and 17 years. Unlike a standard pacemaker, it is implanted into the heart through a vein in the leg and does not require a lead. Micra’s miniaturized size and minimally invasive approach leaves no visible sign of a medical device under the skin. This can mean fewer post-implant activity restrictions and no obstructions to shoulder movement.
The doctor inserts a straw-like catheter system into a vein, typically near the upper thigh area of the leg. The catheter system moves Micra into the right ventricle of the heart. Micra is placed against the heart wall and secured with flexible tines. The doctor tests Micra to ensure it is working properly, and if so, the catheter system is then removed.
Many people with a pacemaker like Micra resume their normal daily activities after recovering from the implant procedure. There may be certain situations a doctor will ask a patient to avoid.
In recognition of February annually known as American Heart Month, more information about cardiology services at OSF Saint Anthony’s can be obtained by visiting www.osfsaintanthonys.org.