EP on EP Episode 39 - Leadless Pacemakers: Now and the Future-EP on EP Episode 39

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Vivek Reddy, Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Mount Sinai, discusses the use of leadless pacemakers. These pacemakers are more expensive than standard devices, so it is important to determine which patients would benefit most. Potential candidates include young patients who require transient AV block backup, patients with infections, high-risk infection patients such as dialysis patients, and patients who are critically ill. Dr. Reddy suggests that the long battery life of leadless pacemakers and the ability to retrieve them in some cases mitigates the concern of needing multiple devices. However, leadless pacemakers cannot currently perform his pacing, which may limit their use in certain patients. As for complications, groin-related issues have been minimal, but pericardial effusion can be a major concern. Careful placement of the device in the ventricular septum can help reduce this risk. The future of leadless pacemakers includes a device with VDD capability and devices that communicate with subcutaneous ICDs, which could potentially be available in clinical trials soon.

Keywords

leadless pacemakers

patient selection

long battery life

complications

future advancements