IJN to offer latest pacemaker

> First hospital in Asia to conduct trials with the state-of-the-art device, says CEO

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Heart Institute (IJN) is expected to offer a state-of-the-art pacemaker soon.

IJN chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub said the hospital is on clinical research of using the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System (Micra TPS) before presenting the data to US-based cardiac pacing and electro-physiology organisation Heart Rhythm Society in May.

“Before a product can be used by the public, it has to go through a clinical trial and we are proud to be the first hospital in Asia to conduct the trials with this pacemaker.

“Our collaboration with Medtronic has enabled us to further innovate in cardiac medical technology and to be seen as the thought leaders in the industry,” Azhari said during a press conference at IJN yesterday.

Also present at the press conference were IJN chief clinical officer Datuk Dr Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim, IJN clinical directorinterventional electrophysiologist & implantable devices Dr Azlan Hussin, IJN consultant cardiologist & electrophysiologist Dr Surinder Kaur and Medtronic Asia Pacific director of Physician Relations Cardiac & Vascular Group David Cleghorn.

Medtronic is a medical technology company which developed the Micra TPS.

Azlan said the Micra TPS is a new type of heart device, which provides the most advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker.

“Unlike traditional pacemakers, the Micra TPS does not require leads or surgical pocket under the skin.

“So potential sources of complications related to such leads and pocket can be eliminated, so are the visible signs of the device,” he said.

Surinder said IJN has successfully implanted the newest edition of Micra TPS on 20 patients.

She said the data gathered from these trials will be presented to Heart Rhythm Society before it can be recommended for commercial use.