Parkview Heart Institute announced it was the first hospital in Indiana to implant the new Boston Scientific S-ICD® System, the world's first and only commercially available subcutaneous implantable defibrillator.
The recently FDA-approved device establishes a new category of protection for patients at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Parkview Heart Institute is the only site currently performing this procedure in the state because the Parkview Research Center was the only Indiana research facility approved to participate in the clinical research trials.
Drs. Michael J. Mirro and David E. Schleinkofer, both with Parkview Physicians Group – Cardiology, performed the procedure.
The S-ICD System functions the same as the transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs); however the S-ICD sits entirely just below the skin without the need for thin, insulated wires – known as electrodes or leads – to be placed into the heart itself. This leaves the heart and blood vessels untouched.
Most episodes of sudden cardiac arrest are caused by the rapid and/or chaotic activity of the heart known as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. Recent estimates show that approximately 850,000 people in the United States are at risk of SCA and indicated for an ICD device, but remain unprotected.
The S-ICD System has two main components: the pulse generator, which powers the system, monitors heart activity, and delivers a shock if needed, and the electrode, which enables the device to sense the cardiac rhythm and deliver shocks when necessary. Both components are implanted just under the skin — the generator at the side of the chest, and the electrode beside the breastbone. Fluoroscopy, an X-ray procedure that makes it possible to see internal organs in motion, isn't needed like with the transvenous ICD systems.
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131002/NEWS/1…
- Log in to post comments