First results in human patients of a novel leadless pacemaker were presented last week at the HRS meeting in Denver by Vivek Reddy.  Pacemaker leads are the most common source of complications associated with pacemakers today. The self-contained device is delivered via catheter to the right ventricle, to which it is attached with a fixation mechanism.  The device…

This content is exclusive to CardioExchange. To continue reading, please log in or request an invitation.

Many patients receiving an ICD or a pacemaker are already receiving oral anticoagulants. Current guidelines recommend replacement of the oral anticoagulant with the temporary use of heparin as a bridging strategy. Now a new study, BRUISE CONTROL (Bridge or Continue Coumadin for Device Surgery Randomized Controlled Trial), offers convincing evidence that this strategy is not…

This content is exclusive to CardioExchange. To continue reading, please log in or request an invitation.

A 63-year-old male smoker with type 2 diabetes presents for the first time with chest pain and shortness of breath at rest. He has no recent history of viral infection and no family history of heart failure or sudden cardiac death. Initial laboratory testing documents negative troponin, normal calcium, normal serum angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) activity, and…

This content is exclusive to CardioExchange. To continue reading, please log in or request an invitation.

Medtronic announced today that the FDA had approved its Advisa DR MRI SureScan, a next-generation pacemaker system specifically designed and tested for use with MRI scanners. The system, which Medtronic said would be launched immediately, includes the Advisa MRI device and two CapSureFix MRI SureScan leads. Medtronic said that more than 100,000 of its first-generation Revo SureScan devices…

This content is exclusive to CardioExchange. To continue reading, please log in or request an invitation.

A pithy primer on the 2012 supplement to the 2008 guidelines

A large new study has found significant risks and costs associated with infections following the implantation of CIEDs (cardiovascular implantable electronic devices), including ICDs, CRT-Ds, and pacemakers. In a paper published in Archives of Internal Medicine, Muhammad Sohail and colleagues analyzed Medicare data from more than 200,000 patients admitted for CIED implantation, replacement, or revision in 2007, including  5817 admissions with…

This content is exclusive to CardioExchange. To continue reading, please log in or request an invitation.

One-third of patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation with the CoreValve device required a permanent pacemaker within 30 days, according to a report published online in Circulation. Researchers in the UK examined data from 243 patients who received the CoreValve device. The incidence of LBBB was 13% prior to the procedure and 61% afterward. Patients…

This content is exclusive to CardioExchange. To continue reading, please log in or request an invitation.

The FDA has approved Medtronic’s Revo MRI SureScan Pacing System, the first pacemaker designed for safe use during MRI exams. Here is Medtronic’s description in a press release of how the pacemaker differs from traditional pacemakers: “The pacemaker system includes hardware modifications to the device and leads that are designed to reduce or eliminate several…

This content is exclusive to CardioExchange. To continue reading, please log in or request an invitation.

It was to be a routine pacemaker.

The parties assembled. The room prepped. IV started. Chest scrubbed. Antibiotics given. His nervous eyes raised when he saw me before the procedure, relieved at the sight of at least one familiar face.