b'20 2021 I N N O V A T I V E T E C H N O L O G Y A N D P R O C E D U R E S | E X P E R T C A R E | W E A R E H E R EMicraTranscatheter Pacing SystemCertain patients who need pacemakers to stimulate normal heartbeat have a new option at Concord Hospital Cardiovascular Institute: a device that is implanted directly into the heart. Traditional pacemakers are implanted under the skin near the collarbone, with wires running to the heart. The Micra Transcatheter Pacing System is threaded through a vein into the heart. The Micra device is about the size of a vitamin capsule. The implant procedure leaves no chest incision, scarring or bump under the skin. There also are no wires, or leads, to carry electrical impulses from the pacemaker to the heart. The electronics are inside the device.Once you get used to it, you forget its there, said Dr. Clayton Jonesof Concord Hospital Cardiology, who performs several Micra procedures a month. It is very low maintenance and it blends into the background. There is not that constantClayton Jones, MD reminder of seeing it, being able to feel it.Patients also benefi t from no surgical wound healing concerns, much lower infection rates and more rapid recovery. Like traditional pacemakers, Micra stimulates a normal heart rate by providing small electrical impulses to the heart. Dr. Jones said speeding up a slower-than-normal heart rate generally improves a patients quality of life, helping sustain more energy in certain situations.Micra is an option for patients who are not good candidates for traditional pacemakers for various reasons, including blocked blood vessels that prevent running leads to the heart or being at high risk for infections. Some patients also prefer the Micra system to avoid the traditional incision and scar.Traditional pacemakers include one, two or three wires, depending on the patients heart condition. At this point, Micra is a good an option for patients with atrial fi brillation (irregular heartbeat) who need pacemakers with only one wire running to the heart.2021 Medtronic. All Rights Reserved. P R O C E D UA 55 RR ESCI SM N I0 2 0 2 E C'