Broward Health Medical Center (BHMC) is the only hospital in Broward County to offer the world’s smallest pacemaker for patients with bradycardia. Recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Micra® Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) is a new type of heart device that provides patients with the most advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker. Micra is the only leadless pacemaker approved for use in the U.S. The first procedure was performed by Ahmed F. Osman, M.D., medical director of the cardiac electrophysiology laboratories at Broward Health Medical Center.
Comparable in size to a large vitamin, Broward Health Medical Center physicians have elected to use the Medtronic Micra TPS for patients with unsuitable venous access. Unlike traditional pacemakers, the device does not require cardiac wires (known as leads) or a surgical “pocket” under the skin to deliver a pacing therapy. Instead, the device is small enough to be delivered through a catheter and implanted directly into the heart with small tines, providing a safe alternative to conventional pacemakers without the complications associated with leads – all while being cosmetically invisible.
