69-year-old woman with recurrent pacemaker infections treated at Delhi hospital

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Doctors at a hospital in Delhi have successfully treated a 69-year-old woman who developed recurrent infections after undergoing two conventional pacemaker procedures, using an advanced dual-chamber leadless pacemaker.

According to Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, the woman, from Bihar, was diagnosed with complete heart block six months ago and underwent a dual-chamber pacemaker implantation on the left side of her chest in March.

“She later developed an infection at the implantation site, following which the device was removed and she was kept on a temporary pacemaker,” they said.

A second dual-chamber pacemaker was implanted on the right side of her chest in July, but she again developed an infection, with pus

discharge and persistent drainage from the site.

Subsequently, at Max Patparganj, the cardiology team, led by Dr Chayan Vermani, Senior Consultant, Cardiology, opted for a dual-chamber leadless pacemaker, which does not require a pacemaker pocket or wires running from the chest into the heart.

“This was a challenging case as the patient had developed infections after two conventional pacemaker procedures within a few months. With recurrent infections, another conventional pacemaker implantation would have presented further challenges,” Vermani said.

The leadless device was placed directly inside the heart through a vein in the groin. The dual-chamber system uses two small devices placed in different chambers of the heart that communicate wirelessly to coordinate the heart’s rhythm.

The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged in a stable condition two days after the procedure, the hospital said. PTI SGV SHS