Kadavanthra: Indira Gandhi Co-operative Hospital’s Karunya Hridayalaya Cardiac Centre has successfully completed treatment using the leadless pacemaker, widely regarded as the world’s smallest pacemaker. This advanced device is unique in that it can be implanted directly into the heart chamber without the need for surgery.
This is the first time such a procedure has been performed in a co-operative hospital in Kerala. The patient, Ayisha from Ernakulam, had previously received a conventional dual-chamber pacemaker at another hospital about two years ago to manage irregular heartbeats. However, after two years, she developed a serious infection, causing the pacemaker wires to protrude from her body, prompting her to seek emergency care at Indira Gandhi Co-operative Hospital, Kadavanthra.
Since the patient was on blood-thinning medication (aspirin), reimplanting a traditional pacemaker posed high risks of infection and bleeding. Hence, Dr. Nigil Cleetus recommended the use of a leadless pacemaker. This device was implanted through a vein in the patient’s leg and positioned directly into the right chamber of the heart.
A team comprising senior interventional cardiologists Dr. Praveen Sreekumar, Dr. Nigil Cleetus, and Dr. Stanley George led the procedure, with senior anesthesiology consultant Dr. Shedin Bharathan also part of the team.
According to the doctors, the patient recovered well and was discharged the very next day. The leadless pacemaker, which is only the size of a capsule, greatly reduces the risk of infection and other complications associated with traditional pacemakers. Furthermore, since the procedure does not require open surgery, it takes only a quarter of the time needed for a conventional pacemaker implantation.
Hospital authorities also noted that this milestone was achieved shortly after the successful completion of an ASD closure surgery—a procedure to seal a hole in the heart—further highlighting the hospital's growing capabilities in advanced cardiac care.