BISMARCK, ND – CHI St. Alexius Health is pleased to offer a new leadless single-chamber VR pacemaker, the first of its kind in the Dakotas. Joya Ganguly, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist with the Heart & Lung Clinic, recently implanted the device at CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck.
“This new option is a game changer. I love the results so much,” explained Ganguly. “People who experience slower-than-normal heart rhythm may receive a pacemaker, which uses pulses of electricity to trigger the heart to beat. Unlike traditional pacemakers, leadless pacemakers do not require insulated wires – known as cardiac leads – that deliver the electrical energy to the heart. Instead, the device is implanted directly into the heart’s right lower chamber.”
The FDA’s approval is based on data from a global study. With this approval, the device offers several benefits for patients who require the use of a pacemaker to remedy slow heart rhythms.
Leadless pacing systems work like traditional pacemakers to regulate the heart rate. This is the world’s only leadless pacemaker specifically designed to be retrieved when the device needs to be replaced or if a patient’s therapy needs to be changed. Additionally, it has a battery life that is up to two times longer than existing leadless options. The device has a unique mapping capability that allows clinicians to measure electric signals to assess the correct placement of the device before final fixation within the heart. Finally, it is designed to be enabled by future software to support dual-chamber pacing in the future upon regulatory approval.
“We are excited to bring this technology to the Dakotas,” Ganguly said. “It will improve patient care using a minimally invasive catheter-based procedure, which in turn lessens recovery restrictions, resulting in an increased quality of life for patients.”
About CHI St. Alexius Health
CHI St. Alexius Health is a regional health network with a unified mission: nurturing the healing ministry of the Church while creating healthier communities. With a tertiary hospital in Bismarck, the system also consists of critical access hospitals (CAHs) in Carrington, Dickinson, Devils Lake, Garrison, Turtle Lake, Washburn and Williston and numerous clinics and outpatient services. CHI St. Alexius Health manages four CAHs in North Dakota - Elgin, Linton, and Wishek, as well as Mobridge Regional Medical Center in Mobridge, S.D.
CHI St. Alexius Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 through the alignment of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health