Doctors of the Madras Medical Mission (MMM) recently implanted true dual chamber leadless pacemakers in two patients aged 75 and 92.
Ulhas Pandurangi, senior consultant and head of electrophysiology, MMM, said a leadless pacemaker was safer and more convenient not only to the patient but also for physicians owing to the ease of implantation.
Implantation of conventional pacemakers needs a surgical procedure. The device and lead complications can be significant — the estimated annual complication rate is 5%, he said. Traditional pacemakers use wires — called leads — to send electrical signals that control the heartbeat, and require them to be placed in a surgical pocket under the skin.
Self-contained devices
The new system involves two tiny, self-contained pacemakers implanted directly under the heart — one in the right atrium and the other the right ventricle.
Each of the two leadless pacemakers is roughly about one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker, a press release said.
The 75-year-old patient, with complete heart block, had problems of dizziness and tiredness and his daily activities had become very limited. Given his high risk of infection with conventional pacemakers, the doctors opted for the leadless pacemaker system. Within a couple of weeks of the first implantation, they were able to do another one on the 92-year-old patient.
‘No open surgery’
Dr. Pandurangi said this system required a small incision. The devices communicate wirelessly to maintain synchronised pacing between the chambers. It has a battery life of 10 to 12 years, he added. Ajit Mullasari, chairman, cardiology, MMM, said the device was implanted via a catheter inserted through a vein in the leg, avoiding open surgery and chest scars, the release said.
Anindya Ghosh, consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist, MMM, added that more patients could return to normal activities sooner, and leadless pacemakers enabled young patients to lead normal lives with no cosmetic complications.
Published – November 05, 2025 01:13 am IST
