April 2015, Morristown, NJ – Morristown Medical Center announced its first implantation of the world’s smallest pacemaker, the Medtronic Micra™ Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS), a device designed to be more discreet and less complicated to implant than traditional pacemakers.
The procedure at Morristown Medical Center is part of a worldwide clinical trial. Timothy Mahoney, MD, a member of the hospital’s primary electrophysiology group implanted the device in an 82-year-old woman with a history of atrial fibrillation.
“The Micra TPS allows us to work in a much more direct, less invasive way, and ultimately delivers the benefits of a pacemaker in a much smaller package to the patient,” Dr. Mahoney said. “We’re pleased to be the first to offer patients this advance in care.”
One-tenth the size of a conventional pacemaker and comparable in size to a large vitamin, the Micra TPS pacemaker is delivered directly into the heart through a catheter inserted in the femoral vein. Once positioned, the pacemaker is securely attached to the heart wall and can be repositioned or retrieved if needed.
The miniature device does not require the use of wires, known as “leads,” to connect to the heart, as with traditional pacemakers. This eliminates the need to replace the leads in the event it is necessary. Attached directly to the heart via small tines, the pacemaker delivers electrical impulses that pace the heart through an electrode at the end of the device. The device is designed for patients who only need one chamber of the heart properly paced.
In contrast to current pacemaker implant procedures, the Micra TPS implant does not require a surgical incision in the chest and the creation of a “pocket” under the skin. This eliminates a potential source of complications, and any visible sign of the device.
“This miniaturized technology is designed to provide patients with the advanced pacing technology of traditional pacemakers via a minimally invasive approach,” said Dr. Mahoney’s colleague, Robert Coyne, MD, electrophysiologist and principal investigator. “We are proud that Morristown Medical Center was selected among an elite group of institutions to take part in this clinical trial. If positive, the results of the trial could potentially benefit the more than one million people globally who receive pacemakers each year.”
The Micra TPS pacemaker is just the latest example of the innovative technology used by the cardiac rhythm management team at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Medical Center to diagnose and treat heart rhythm conditions.
About Morristown Medical Center
Morristown Medical Center, located in Morristown, NJ, is part of Atlantic Health System, one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey, which also includes Overlook Medical Center in Summit, Newton Medical Center, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains and Goryeb Children’s Hospital. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Morristown Medical Center was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top hospital nationwide for cardiology and heart surgery, gynecology, geriatrics, orthopedics and pulmonology. Morristown Medical Center also ranked as a “Best Regional Hospital” for cancer, diabetes & endocrinology, neurology and neurosurgery, as well as gastroenterology & GI Surgery, nephrology and urology. The Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Medical Center encompasses the largest cardiovascular program in New Jersey, performing more than 1,500 heart surgeries annually, more than any other cardiovascular facility in the state. Morristown Medical Center is verified as a Level I Regional Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons and designated a Level II by the state of New Jersey and was re-designated a Magnet Hospital for Excellence in Nursing Service, the highest level of recognition by American Nurses Credentialing Center for facilities that provide acute care services, a distinction awarded to less than five percent of U.S. hospitals.
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