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St. Joseph’s University Medical Center offers the world’s smallest pacemaker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Pam Garretson
Director, Public Relations
973.754.4504 garretsonp@sjhmc.org

St. Joseph’s University Medical Center Offers the World’s Smallest Pacemaker

PATERSON, NJ, DECEMBER 7, 2017 – St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, part of St. Joseph’s Health, announced that it is among the first hospitals in New Jersey to offer the world’s smallest pacemaker for patients with bradycardia, a slow or irregular heart rhythm. The Micra® Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) is a new type of heart device that provides patients with the most advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker.

Bradycardia is a condition characterized by a slow or irregular heart rhythm, usually fewer than 60 beats per minute. At this rate, the heart is unable to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body during normal activity or exercise, causing dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath or fainting spells. Pacemakers are the most common way to treat bradycardia to help restore the heart’s normal rhythm and relieve symptoms by sending electrical impulses to the heart to increase the heart rate.

“We are pleased to offer the latest in pacemaker technology to our patients who are struggling with slow heart rhythm,” said Satish Tiyyagura, MD, director of cardiac electrophysiology, St. Joseph’s University Medical Center. “The Micra TPS has proven valuable to our higher-risk patients who require a basic pacemaker to live symptom-free.”

Comparable in size to a large vitamin, the Micra TPS does not require cardiac wires – or leads – or a surgical “pocket” created under the skin to deliver a pacing therapy. Instead, the device is delivered through a catheter and implanted directly into the heart with small tines, providing a safe alternative to conventional pacemakers without the complications associated with leads – all while being cosmetically invisible. The Micra TPS is also designed to automatically adjust pacing therapy based on a patient’s activity levels.

The Micra TPS also incorporates a retrieval feature to enable retrieval of the device when possible; however, the device is designed to be left in the body. For patients who need more than one heart device, the Micra TPS was designed with a unique feature that enables it to be permanently turned off so it can remain in the body and a new device can be implanted without risk of electrical interaction.

About St. Joseph’s Health

St. Joseph’s Health is a world-class hospital and healthcare network supported by leading and renowned physicians, nurses and care teams. The organization operates a full continuum of care, including a regional tertiary care medical center, a state-designated children’s hospital, an acute care hospital, rehabilitation and long-term facilities, and comprehensive home care. U.S. News & World Report recognized St. Joseph’s as a Best Hospital in the New York Metropolitan Area and among the Top 10 Hospitals in the State of New Jersey for 2016-17. St. Joseph’s University Medical Center is a four-time recipient of the Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence and was awarded the prestigious 2016 Lantern Award™ by the Emergency Nurses Association, one of only 11 hospitals selected nationwide. 

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