The new laser also represents another step toward more minimally invasive procedures that reduce risk for patients.
Dr. Moskowitz used the laser to remove the pacemaker for his patient Leslie, a 75-year-old resident of Bloomfield. In December 2021, Leslie visited Dr. Moskowitz for a second opinion after a doctor’s visit revealed that the pacemaker she’d received in 2018 had lower than expected battery longevity remaining.
“We don’t know exactly when this happened,” Leslie says. “I just wasn’t feeling any effect. When I look back, maybe I was feeling just a little bit more tired than usual.”
Leslie first got the device to manage an atrial fibrillation, a condition that disturbs the rhythm of the heart. In her case, the heart was always beating fast, even at rest. Although she was on medications, she was always tired and short of breath.
After the implantation, Leslie dutifully went to checkups every three to six months. She also received a Bluetooth monitor that periodically transmitted performance data to her medical team to make sure the pacemaker was in working order.
Although she didn’t recognize any symptoms at the time, it was determined that one of two pacing leads delivering electrical pulses to her heart was no longer working. The pacemaker and both leads needed to be replaced. Today, Leslie is recovering and very pleased with the outcome.
For the millions of Americans with heart conditions like atrial fibrillation and bradycardia, a pacemaker can be a life-saving device. Typically, doctors implant the pacemaker by making a pocket near the left clavicle with lead wires going from the battery-powered pulse generator to the heart.
While pacemakers can increase longevity and improve quality of life, the device
itself requires regular monitoring and has a lifespan of anywhere from five to 15 years. This could mean changing the battery, replacing the lead wires or replacing the device entirely.
Over time, scar tissue grows around the pacemaker, making it difficult to remove any of the components. The new laser system allows doctors to separate the scar tissue from the pacemaker with more ease
and precision.
“I think it speaks volumes about Hartford HealthCare’s drive to bring the newest technology to help our patients,” says Dr. Moskowitz.
For more information about the Hartford
HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute, attend Hartford HealthCare’s Facebook Live event on Feb. 16 at 12:30 p.m. or call 833-444-0014.
— Jessica Chesler for Hartford HealthCare
This paid post is produced by Studio 1847, a division of Tribune Publishing Co., on behalf of Hartford HealthCare. The newsrooms or editorial departments of Tribune Publishing Co. are not involved in the production of this content.