Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health has performed the first known atrial leadless pacemaker implants in patients with lateral tunnel Fontan circulation and extracardiac Fontan,
According to a Feb. 25 news release, Daniel Cortez, MD, PhD, an adult congenital cardiologist and director of pediatric electrophysiology, implanted the devices in two patients born with a single ventricle. Fontan circulation is a surgically created heart pathway for children born with complex congenital heart disease and only one functioning ventricle.
The team implanted Abbott’s Aveir VR device, a capsule-sized leadless pacemaker placed inside the heart through a vein in the leg. The device eliminates the need for wires typically placed through open heart surgeries and is predicted to last for more than 17 years.
The health system said the cases demonstrate that atrial leadless pacing can be performed within a lateral tunnel Fontan and extracardiac Fontan and may offer an alternative for patients who experience slow heart rates, pauses or irregular heart rhythms following Fontan surgery.
