Lankenau Heart Institute at Paoli Hospital first in the region to implant world's smallest pacemaker which can now treat AV block
New device means more patients are now candidates for a leadless pacing option
AV block is a condition where the electrical signals between the chambers of the heart (the atria and the ventricles) are impaired. Pacemakers, the most common way to treat AV block, help restore the heart’s normal rhythm and relieve associated symptoms by coordinating the electrical activity of the atria and the ventricles. When this process—known as AV synchrony—is achieved, patients are healthier and have improved quality of life, as well as increased blood flow from the left ventricle. Historically, patients with AV block have been treated with traditional dual-chamber pacemakers implanted in the upper chest, under the skin, below the collar bone, and connected to the heart using thin wires called “leads.”
“Our cardiac team is thrilled to be leading the way in improving care for our patients, ” said Dr. Goldstein. “With this technology, our patients can benefit from a life of leadless pacing, including a minimally invasive implant procedure and no visible device.”
Comparable in size to a large vitamin, Medtronic’s™ Micra AV can deliver pacemaker therapy via a minimally invasive approach. During the implant procedure, the device is inserted through a catheter and implanted directly into the heart. Because Micra AV does not require leads or a surgical “pocket” under the skin, potential sources of complications related to leads and pockets are eliminated—as are any visible signs of the device.
“This incredible pacemaker technology helps our clinicians to provide advanced cardiac treatment that improves the quality of life for our patients,” says William Gray, MD, system chief of the division of cardiovascular disease at Main Line Health and president of Lankenau Heart Institute.
Identical in size and shape to the original Micra Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) approved in 2016, Micra AV has several additional internal atrial sensing algorithms which detect cardiac movement, allowing the device to adjust pacing in the ventricle to coordinate with the atrium, providing “AV synchronous” pacing therapy to patients with AV block.
“Lankenau Medical Center participated in the pivotal global clinical trial and was one of the first hospitals in Pennsylvania to offer the Micra® Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS for patients with bradycardia),” says John Mitchell, system director, Main Line Health Cardiovascular Services and Lankenau Heart Institute. “It’s exciting that we can continue to expand the use of the MICRA pacemaker to deliver the latest technological advances in arrhythmia management to our cardiac patients across Main Line Health.”
Micra AV was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January 2020.For information about the Lankenau Heart Institute’s advanced cardiac care, visit mainlinehealth.org/heart.
About Main Line Health
Main Line Health® is a not-for-profit health system serving the greater Philadelphia region. The System comprises five hospitals, seven health centers, more than 160 outpatient and physician practice locations, over 14,500 employees and more than 2,200 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers.
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health includes four of the region’s most respected acute care hospitals — Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital — as well as Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, one of the nation’s premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine. The System also includes Mirmont Treatment Center, which provides treatment and support for substance use disorders; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice; Main Line HealthCare, its employed multispecialty physician network; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a leading biomedical research organization; and Main Line Health Centers offering primary and specialty care, lab, radiology and other outpatient services in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Devon, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square.
Main Line Health brings together physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, researchers and other healthcare professionals across a broad network of inpatient, outpatient, home-based and community-based services. Through this integrated approach, the System delivers high-quality, comprehensive care across the continuum — from primary care and preventive services to complex specialty, surgical, trauma, emergency, rehabilitative, behavioral health, home care and hospice services — with a focus on making care accessible in the communities where people live and work.
Main Line Health also collaborates with leading clinical partners to expand access to specialized care. Through its affiliation with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, pediatric care is provided at select Main Line Health locations, including neonatal intensive care units at its acute care hospitals and Bryn Mawr Hospital’s Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. Jefferson Health neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists also provide 24/7 specialized care, including neurointervention and lifesaving stroke care.
About Lankenau Heart Institute
Lankenau Heart Institute is Main Line Health’s premier comprehensive cardiovascular program, bringing together cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and advanced practice providers across the System’s four acute care hospitals: Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital. Through a coordinated approach, the Institute offers a full continuum of high-quality cardiovascular care — from prevention and diagnostics to clinical trials, advanced treatments and rehabilitation — with a commitment to excellence in outcomes and patient experience.
A nationally recognized leader in innovation and exceptional clinical outcomes, Lankenau Heart Institute is at the forefront of minimally invasive and transcatheter procedures for coronary revascularization, valve repair and replacement, complex aortic surgery and the treatment of advanced heart failure and arrhythmias. Its pioneering work in robotic-assisted and beating-heart techniques and minimally invasive and robotic valve repair continues to shape the future of cardiovascular care. With a robust and influential presence in national clinical trials, its physicians regularly participate in groundbreaking research focused on new therapies, technologies and procedures, primarily through less invasive approaches.