Oct. 1, 2026 – Sarasota Memorial Hospital is the first hospital in the Tampa Bay region offering a new leadless pacing option for certain heart failure patients who are unable to benefit from traditional cardiac resynchronization therapy.
On Wednesday, Sarasota Memorial electrophysiologists Brian Betensky, MD, and Robert Eckart, DO, successfully implanted EBR System’s WiSE left ventricular endocardial pacing system in two patients at SMH-Sarasota. The novel, FDA-approved leadless pacing system is implanted inside the heart’s left ventricle as part of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), which helps the heart’s ventricles beat in sync and pump more effectively.
Unlike traditional CRT systems that rely on a lead placed in the coronary vein outside the left ventricle, the WiSE system uses a battery and ultrasound transmitter inserted beneath the skin of the chest, along with a tiny electrode—about the size of a grain of rice—implanted inside the left ventricle. The electrode converts ultrasound energy into electrical stimulation, coordinating left ventricular pacing with pacing delivered by the patient’s companion device, to help the heart beat in a more coordinated and efficient way.
WiSE implant medical illustration
“This technology gives us a different way to deliver cardiac resynchronization,” said Dr. Eckart. “By placing a small electrode inside the left ventricle, we can synchronize the heart’s contractions and improve cardiac performance without a traditional coronary sinus lead.”
The WiSE system is approved for certain adults age 22 and older who are indicated for CRT and have, or are eligible for, an implanted right ventricular pacing system. Eligible patients include those whose previous coronary sinus lead implantation was unsuccessful or whose implanted left ventricular lead is no longer operational or advisable due to contraindications.
“This opens up an expanded treatment platform for heart failure patients who may have exhausted conventional options,” said Dr. Betensky. “For patients who have continued to struggle despite other therapies, WiSE gives us another way to support heart function, reduce symptoms and potentially improve their quality of life.”
Patients who qualify receive the WiSE therapy as a scheduled outpatient procedure and typically are discharged from the hospital within 24 hours. It is currently available at about 30 centers nationwide, with Sarasota Memorial among just four hospitals in Florida offering the technology.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (smh.com)
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with about 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, 11,000 employees and 2 million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County’s largest employer, the community-owned health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice (and third under construction in North Port), freestanding ERs in North Port and Lakewood Ranch, a rehabilitation hospital, skilled nursing facility and comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and SMH First Physicians Group primary and specialty care practices. Founded in 1925, SMH’s flagship Sarasota campus also is home to the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, Cornell Behavioral Health Pavilion and Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute. Both Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota and Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice have earned the highest 5-Star quality ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). SMH-Sarasota is the only Florida hospital – and one of just 11 in the nation – to earn a perfect 5-Star rating from CMS every year since the federal rating program began in 2016.
