Breakthrough as heart surgeons implant game-changing pacemaker the size of a pen lid into British pensioner in 30-minute op
- Heart experts at University Hospital Southampton took just 30 mins to fit device
- Retired contract manager Graham Motteram was chosen for the implant
A 76-year-old man has become one of the first in England to be fitted with a pacemaker 10 times smaller than a standard device and with a battery that lasts three-times longer.
Heart experts at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) took just 30 minutes to fit the Aveir VR leadless pacemaker to retired contract manager Graham Motteram.
The device, which is the size of a pen lid, is implanted directly into the heart’s right ventricle and delivers electrical pulses to correct slow or irregular heart rhythm.
Mr Motteram, from Romsey, Hampshire, was chosen for the implant after a routine check-up for diabetes highlighted that he had high blood pressure, and he was sent to the emergency department at UHS following an ECG.
The pensioner said surgeons ‘saved his life’ and he hopes ‘many more patients’ will benefit from the device.
Heart experts at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) took just 30 minutes to fit the Aveir VR leadless pacemaker to retired contract manager Graham Motteram (pictured)
The Aveir VR device, made by US medical device company Abbott, lasts up to 20 years and is the size of a pen lid (3.8cm by 0.65cm)
Pacemaker implantation is one of the most common types of heart surgery carried out in the UK, with thousands fitted each year.
The device is offered to patients with arrhythmia, an abnormal heart rhythm, who may require a pacemaker to keep the organ beating regularly and not too slowly.
Around 2million Brits and 12million Americans suffer from arrhythmia, when the heart pumps slower than 60 beats per minute (bpm) or faster than 100bpm.
As it stands, pacemakers used in the UK last six to seven years and are around the size of a matchbox (5cm by 4cm)
However, the Aveir VR device, made by US medical device company Abbott, lasts up to 20 years and is the size of a pen lid (3.8cm by 0.65cm).
How does the device work?
The Aveir VR is implanted into a patient’s right ventricle – a chamber in the heart that pumps blood low in oxygen to the lungs.
This is done using a catheter placed in the inferior vena cava, which is the body’s largest vein and is located in the abdomen.
Once the device reaches the right ventricle, it maps the interior wall of the heart to determine the correct position before it is fixed in place.
‘This helps to reduce the number of repositioning attempts which can damage the heart tissue,’ a UHS spokesperson said.
‘It is then anchored into place by turning the device’s unique spiral tip which also houses a small electrode for sensing and pacing stimulation.’
Every time the heart beats, the device detects whether the rate is too slow and delivers electrical pulses to correct the slow or irregular heart rhythm, if necessary.
It can also be fitted more precisely, meaning fewer patients require further procedures to reposition their pacemaker, according to medics.
The device is offered to patients with bradycardia, a type of arrhythmia caused by the heart beating too slowly.
While it can be normal for very fit people and athletes to have a heart rate of 60bpm or slower, a slow heart rate can trigger fainting and tiredness.
The Aveir VR is implanted into a patient’s right ventricle – a chamber in the heart that pumps blood low in oxygen to the lungs.
This is done using a catheter placed in the inferior vena cava, which is the body’s largest vein and is located in the abdomen.
Once the device reaches the right ventricle, it maps the interior wall of the heart to determine the correct position before it is fixed in place.
‘This helps to reduce the number of repositioning attempts which can damage the heart tissue,’ a UHS spokesperson said.
‘It is then anchored into place by turning the device’s unique spiral tip which also houses a small electrode for sensing and pacing stimulation.’
Every time the heart beats, the device detects whether the rate is too slow and delivers electrical pulses to correct the slow or irregular heart rhythm, if necessary.
Mr Motteram said: ‘I feel very lucky to be the first patient in Southampton to be fitted with this new device, and I’m so grateful to Professor Roberts and the team – they have surely saved my life and looked after me so well before and after the procedure.
‘I hope many more patients can benefit from this in the future.’
His device was fitted by consultant cardiologist Professor Paul Roberts and his team at UHS.
The surgical team at University Hospital Southampton who carried out the pacemaker implant
From a ‘fluttering’ sensation in your chest to feeling as though your heart has skipped a beat, there are signs of an arrhythmia to watch out for
Professor Roberts said: ‘The Aveir ventricular leadless pacemaker represents a significant advancement in patient care with leadless pacemaker technology.
‘The battery life of this device has the potential to last for more than 20 years in some patients.
‘Furthermore, it is anticipated in the near future we will be able to implant a second device in the top chamber of the heart (atrium) in selected patients, which means that a larger group of patients may benefit from this technology.’
Arrhythmia can affect anyone but older people, those who drink too much alcohol and are overweight are most at risk, along with those who have had a heart attack or heart failure.
Symptoms include palpitations, feeling dizzy, fainting and being short of breath.
GPs can refer those with symptoms to a heart specialist for an electrocardiogram (ECG), which is an electrical recording of the heart rhythm.
The most common type is atrial fibrillation, which is when the heart beats faster than normal. It raises the risk of suffering a stroke five-fold.
As well as pacemakers, treatments for arrhythmias include medicines, surgery to destroy diseased tissue in the heart or electrical cardioversion – a treatment that uses electricity to shock the heart back to a normal rhythm.
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