The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St David’s Medical Center (Austin, USA) recently became the first facility in Texas to use the Micra transcatheter pacing system (TPS, Medtronic) after receiving US Food and Drug Administration approval.
The procedure was performed by Robert Canbyn and Amin Al-Ahmad electrophysiologists at TCAI, to treat bradycardia.
Canby says, “Due to the unique design of the Micra TPS, most patients experience fewer medical complications and fewer post-implant activity restrictions, allowing them to return to their normal lives sooner.”
The Micra TPS—which is about the size of a large vitamin or capsule—is designed to avoid the need for cardiac wires (leads) or a surgical “pocket” under the skin to deliver a pacing therapy, making it virtually invisible. Instead, the device is intended to be small enough to be delivered through a catheter and implanted directly into the heart with small prongs, providing a safe alternative to conventional pacemakers without the complications associated with leads. The Micra TPS is also designed to automatically adjust pacing therapy based on a patient’s activity levels.
The Micra TPS is the first and only transcatheter pacing system to be approved for both 1.5 and 3 Tesla (T) full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Additionally, it incorporates a feature intended to enable retrieval of the device if needed (although the device is designed to be left in the body). For patients who need more than one heart device, the miniaturised Micra TPS can be permanently turned off so that it can remain in the body when a new device is implanted without risk of an electrical interaction.
The Micra transcatheter pacing system was approved by the FDA for use in the USA in April 2016.
