Breaking ground for the Nordic countries, a child patient has been fitted with a next generation pacemaker that sits completely outside the heart and the blood vessels, according to a Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) release Monday. The operation took place at the New Children's Hospital in Helsinki.
The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) device, commonly referred to as a pacemaker, is used to treat ventricular heart arrhythmia, a potentially life-threatening condition where the heart beats too quickly, too slowly or irregularly.
The device uses electrodes to send electrical impulses that moderate the heart beat when required, ensuring a steady rhythm.
New device could be especially useful for child patients
The latest generation extravascular EV-ICD device harnesses the benefits of both traditional transvenous and newer subcutaneous devices, according to the HUS website. The implant is touted as a more versatile, smaller and longer-lasting solution than traditional arrhythmia pacemakers.
This is particularly relevant for paediatric patients, who have more treatment-related problems than the adult population, according to HUS. For example, there is always the risk of complications arising from the need to replace intravenous wires as a child grows. Meanwhile, subcutaneous pacemakers are comparatively large and have limited pacing abilities.
"Paediatric cardiologists have been waiting for a long time for a pacemaker that would be more suitable for paediatric patients due to its size, and which could avoid problems related to intravenous leads," said paediatric cardiologist Ilkka Jaakkola from HUS's New Children's Hospital.
"The new type of arrhythmia pacemaker installed now meets these requirements," he added.
The Helsinki patient was only the seventh child in the world to be fitted with this device, said Jaakola, meaning that knowledge of the performance of this type of pacemaker in children and adolescents in the longer term is still very limited.
Whether the implant meets expectations — particularly in terms of the durability of the wires — will become clearer over time, he said.
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