Leuven (Brussels Morning Newspaper): A new wireless mini pacemaker allows communication between two devices, aiding the ventricle and atrium. Cardiologist Garweg highlights its potential for 80% of patients, reducing complications by 50% in Belgium, where 10,000 pacemakers are implanted annually.
Wireless mini pacemakers have been around for some time and help heart patients. Before, those who needed both sides of their heart to work couldn’t use the wireless type because it only stimulated one side. Now, a new wireless mini pacemaker with two devices talk to each other. This means they can help both the ventricle and the atrium of the heart. Cardiologist Garweg says they use infrared technology to communicate. About 80% of people who need a pacemaker can now use this new version.
What benefits does the new wireless pacemaker offer patients in Leuven?
Cardiologist Garweg is praising a new pacemaker for its benefits. In Belgium, about 10,000 pacemakers are implanted annually, and 1 in 6 patients face problems within ten years. This new type could reduce that risk by half. In early tests, there were no serious problems that required the pacemaker to be removed. A big study with 464 people, including UZ Leuven as the only Belgian hospital, was done between 2022 and 2023 to test this new device.
Doctors at UZ Leuven place around 400 pacemakers each year. Most patients get the traditional type with wires that go under the skin, but only 20% can use a new wireless mini pacemaker. Garweg says that to put in the regular pacemaker, a small cut is made at the shoulder, which still carries some risks. The wires connect the pacemaker to the heart, but there’s a chance of infection, which is rare but serious. With this new mini pacemaker, many patients won’t have to worry about these complications anymore.
