Valley Hospital Tests World's Smallest Pacemaker

Press release:

The Valley Hospital recently announced its first implant — and the first in New Jersey — of the world’s smallest pacemaker. The device, which is one-tenth the size of a conventional pacemaker and comparable in size to a large vitamin, was implanted as part of a global clinical trial.

Valley is one of only two sites in New Jersey currently testing the Medtronic Micra™ Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS), and is one of 50 sites worldwide chosen to participate in the trial.

“The MICRA pacemaker is an alternative to the traditional pacemaker in patients who need only single chamber ventricular pacing,” said Suneet Mittal, M.D., Director of Electrophysiology at the Valley Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute. “It truly is a revolutionary device and it changes pacemaker implantation from a traditional operative endeavor to a modern percutaneous procedure.”

A pacemaker is a small device that is placed under the skin near the heart to help manage patients with slow heart rhythms. This device uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate. In contrast to current pacemaker implant procedures, the Micra TPS implant does not require a surgical incision in the chest and the creation of a “pocket” under the skin. This eliminates a potential source of complications, and any external visible sign of the device.

The Micra TPS pacemaker is delivered directly into the heart through a catheter inserted in the femoral vein. Once positioned, the pacemaker is securely attached to the heart wall and can be repositioned or retrieved if needed. The miniature device does not require the use of wires, known as “leads”, to connect to the heart. Attached to the heart via small tines, the pacemaker delivers electrical impulses that pace the heart through an electrode at the end of the device. The Medtronic Micra TPS is an investigational device worldwide.

“This miniaturized technology is designed to provide patients with the advanced pacing technology of traditional pacemakers via a minimally invasive approach,” said Dr. Mittal. “We are proud that Valley was selected among an elite group of institutions to take part in this clinical trial. If positive, the results of the trial could potentially benefit many of the more than one million people globally who receive pacemakers each year.”

For information about clinical trials at The Valley Hospital, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.