Maryland: The University of Maryland Medical Center’s
Stephen Shorofsky, MD, PhD,
was one of the first doctors in Maryland to implant the world’s
smallest pacemaker for patients with bradycardia. Recently approved by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Micra® Transcatheter
Pacing System (TPS) is a new type of heart device that provides patients
with the most advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a
traditional pacemaker. Micra is the only leadless pacemaker approved for
use in the U.S.
Bradycardia is a condition characterized by a slow or irregular heart
rhythm. As a result, the heart is unable to pump enough oxygen-rich
blood to the body during normal activity or exercise, causing dizziness,
fatigue, shortness of breath or fainting spells. Pacemakers are the
most common way to treat bradycardia to help restore the heart's normal
rhythm and relieve symptoms by sending electrical impulses to the heart
to increase the heart rate.
Comparable in size to a large vitamin, physicians at UMMC have
elected to use the Medtronic Micra TPS because unlike traditional
pacemakers, the device does not require cardiac wires (leads) or a
surgical “pocket” under the skin to deliver a pacing therapy. Instead,
the device is small enough to be delivered through a catheter and
implanted directly into the heart with small tines, providing a safe
alternative to conventional pacemakers without the complications
associated with leads – all while being cosmetically invisible. The
Micra TPS is also designed to automatically adjust pacing therapy based
on a patient’s activity levels.
