Taking care of your heart is vital to your overall health. At Sharp Memorial Hospital, an expert team of cardiologists, cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeons, electrophysiologists, and nurse practitioners provides San Diegans with comprehensive heart and vascular care.
Sharp Memorial has announced it will begin using the world’s first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker system for people with irregular or slow heart rhythms. Abbott’s groundbreaking system, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June 2023, gives patients a new minimally invasive option to treat the nearly 80% of pacemaker recipients who require pacing in two chambers of the heart: the right atrium and right ventricle.
Abbott’s AVEIR DR is an innovative treatment option for people with slow or irregular heart rhythms. Unlike traditional pacemakers, leadless devices are implanted directly into the heart chamber using a catheter-based delivery system inserted through a groin vein. As a result, leadless pacemakers reduce people’s exposure to potential complications, have no chest scars or “bumps,” and offer a shorter and less restrictive recovery period after implantation.
Roughly one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker and smaller than a AAA battery, the AVEIR DR dual-chamber leadless pacing system consists of two devices: the AVEIR VR ventricular leadless pacemaker, which paces the right ventricle, and the AVEIR AR atrial leadless pacemaker, which paces the right atrium. This technology solves a significant engineering challenge by offering beat-to-beat communication between the leadless pacemakers.
“Pacemaker leads — insulated wires placed in the heart’s chambers — have been the Achilles’ heel of permanent pacemaker systems,” said Dr. Charles Athill, a cardiac electrophysiologist affiliated with Sharp Memorial. According to Dr. Athill, leads have a limited lifespan and are prone to infections. Although leadless pacemakers have been available for the last decade, they can only pace a single chamber, which limits their widespread use.
“With this new revolutionary dual-chamber pacemaker, more patients will have the benefit of leadless technology. We look forward to using AVEIR DR to help improve the lives of our patients and better achieve our mission of improving the health of those we serve with a commitment to excellence in all that we do,” said Dr. Athill.
Cardiology specialists at Sharp are located across San Diego County and are focused on helping patients improve their heart health.
To learn more, visit sharp.com/heart or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
