Cardiac Defibrillator Implanted Under Skin Much Safer for Patients
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 02 May 2022 |
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) improve survival of patients with heart conditions but can cause perioperative complications, including perforation of heart muscle or lungs, and blood clotting in veins. Now, a new type of cardiac defibrillator has been found to significantly reduce major complications for patients.
The traditional defibrillator, the transvenous ICD (TV-ICD), features a lead (a flexible wire coated with insulation) placed in the heart or the heart’s network of blood vessels. Researchers at the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI, Hamilton, ON, Canada) have demonstrated that a different type of ICD - the subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) – in which the lead is implanted under the skin, just below the patient’s armpit, and runs along the breastbone. The S-ICD does not come into contact with any blood vessels.
Their study found that by eliminating all intra-vascular and intra-cardiac components of the ICD, the S-ICD prevents most lead-related perioperative complications, including nearly all complications which can lead to death. The study followed patients for six months after their device was implanted in 544 patients (one-quarter female) at 14 clinical sites in Canada. Half of the patients were randomized to an S-ICD; the other half to a TV-ICD. The team found that S-ICD reduced the risk of lead-related complications by 92%. Younger patients are usually under-represented in ICD trials; ATLAS S-ICD included ICD-eligible patients 18 to 60 years old (average age of 49) who had a cardiogenetic syndrome or were at high risk for lead-related complications. Follow-up of participants of ATLAS S-ICD is ongoing.
“We need to increase the statistical power of the trial to assess the comparative rates of inappropriate shocks and failed appropriate shocks, as well as the impact of ICD type on tricuspid insufficiency and heart failure,” said PHRI Senior Scientist Jeff Healey.
Related Links:
PHRI
Latest Critical Care News
- Wheeze-Counting Wearable Device Monitors Patient's Breathing In Real Time
- Wearable Multiplex Biosensors Could Revolutionize COPD Management
- New Low-Energy Defibrillation Method Controls Cardiac Arrhythmias
- New Machine Learning Models Help Predict Heart Disease Risk in Women
- Deep-Learning Model Predicts Arrhythmia 30 Minutes before Onset
- Breakthrough Technology Combines Detection and Treatment of Nerve-Related Disorders in Single Procedure
- Plasma Irradiation Promotes Faster Bone Healing
- New Device Treats Acute Kidney Injury from Sepsis
- Study Confirms Safety of DCB-Only Strategy for Treating De Novo Left Main Coronary Artery Disease
- Revascularization Improves Quality of Life for Patients with Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia
- AI-Driven Prediction Models Accurately Predict Critical Care Patient Deterioration
- Preventive PCI for High-Risk Coronary Plaques Reduces Cardiac Events
- AI Diagnostic Tool Guides Rapid Diagnosis and Prediction of Sepsis
- World's First AI-Powered Sepsis Alert System Detects Sepsis in One Minute
- Smartphone Magnetometer Uses Magnetized Hydrogel to Measure Biomarkers for Disease Diagnosis
- New Technology to Revolutionize Valvular Heart Disease Care