BOCA RATON, FL – May 8, 2017 – Boca Raton Regional Hospital today announced that it is the first hospital
in Palm Beach County to offer the world’s smallest pacemaker for
patients with bradycardia. The Medtronic 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. The first procedure at Boca Regional was performed
in late April by Martin Kloosterman, MD, an electrophysiologist and Director
of the Lynn Heart & Vascular Institute.
In addition to its size, which is comparable to a large vitamin capsule
and weighs the same as a penny, Micra TPS provides a host of benefits
for patients.
The pacemaker is introduced through a catheter in the femoral vein and
attached directly to the heart via small tines. Once seated in place,
it delivers electrical impulses as needed, pacing the heart through an
electrode at the end of the device.
In this fashion, Micra TPS preserves unobstructed blood vessels flow and
does away with the need for wires or “leads” that are used
in conventional pacemakers to deliver the pacing therapy, which can be
a source of complications.
Micra TPS is a minimally invasive catheter procedure that also eliminates
the requirement for a surgical incision to create a “pocket”
under the skin where a conventional pacemaker would be placed. This, in
turn, takes away yet another site for potential difficulties such as infection
and movement limitations while providing comfort and cosmetic advantages
for the patient.
The System’s pacemaker is approved for full-body MRI scans. It can
be implanted in a wide range of selected patients, including frail, elderly
individuals. It requires minimal recovery with no activity restriction
after just a few hours of implantation.
“The Micra TPS is a revolutionary new generation of pacemakers and
a major advancement in the treatment of bradycardia,” said Dr. Kloosterman.
“Having it at Boca Regional enhances our reputation and commitment
to offering the latest and most sophisticated spectrum of care for patients
with rhythm disorders.”
Bradycardia is a condition characterized by a slow or irregular heart rhythm,
usually less than 60 beats a minute (normal is 60-100). At this rate 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.
About Boca Raton Regional Hospital – Advancing the boundaries of medicine.
Boca Raton Regional Hospital is an advanced, tertiary medical center (BRRH.com) with 400 beds and more than 800 primary and specialty physicians on staff.
The Hospital is a recognized leader in oncology, cardiovascular disease
and surgery, minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, women’s health,
emergency medicine and the neurosciences, all of which offer state-of-the-art
diagnostic and imaging capabilities. The Hospital is a designated Comprehensive
Stroke Center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
Media Contact:
Alexandra Schilling, 561.955.4706
Communications Specialist
aschilling@brrh.com