New Jersey’s First Dual-Chamber Leadless Pacemakers Implanted at Jersey Shore University Medical Center

“This is incredibly significant as nearly 80 percent of people who receive a pacemaker need a dual-chamber option to pace both chambers on the right side of the heart,” said Dr. Mascarenhas.

The cardiovascular team at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center recently implanted New Jersey’s first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker systems in patients, as part of Abbott’s AveirTM DR i2i clinical study.

People who experience a slower-than-normal heart rate may receive a pacemaker; a small battery-powered device implanted in the chest that delivers electrical impulses via thin insulated wires, called cardiac leads. The leads cause the heart muscle chambers to contract to help restore a normal heart rhythm. Unlike traditional pacemakers, leadless pacemakers are implanted directly into the heart through a minimally invasive catheter-based procedure and eliminate the need for cardiac leads. Nearly two million Americans have a pacemaker implantation.

Electrophysiologist Mark Mascarenhas, M.D., implanted the first dual-chamber leadless pacemakers at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “Providing this new system is a landmark moment for people requiring assistance to maintain a healthy heart rhythm,” said Dr. Mascarenhas. Leadless pacing options have been limited to single-chamber devices until now since synchronization of two leadless pacemakers has been highly difficult to achieve.

Medical device company Abbott designed their i2i technology to provide beat-by-beat communication between two leadless pacemakers, one positioned in the right ventricle and one positioned in the right atrium of the heart. This technology is designed to regulate the heart rate synchronously between chambers allowing for dual-chamber leadless pacing.

“This is incredibly significant as nearly 80 percent of people who receive a pacemaker need a dual-chamber option to pace both chambers on the right side of the heart, “ said Dr. Mascarenhas. “While leadless pacemakers work like traditional pacemakers to regulate heart rate, they offer reduced lead-related complications and a less restrictive recovery period due to the minimally invasive implant procedure. This technology is a great enhancement in what we can provide to our patients with abnormal heart rhythms.”

For more than 10 years, Jersey Shore University Medical Center has been a leader in New Jersey in performing diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures. “Providing this type of innovative pacemaking technology is in line with our mission to provide the best care, advanced healthcare technology and medical expertise to all our patients,” said Vito Buccellato, MPA, LNHA, president and chief hospital executive, Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

In 2021, the academic medical center launched a $45 million, invasive cardiovascular expansion project. “We are creating a centralized, convenient space to improve the experiences of our patients and their loved ones and providing our cardiovascular experts with leading-edge tools to enhance care,” said Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, Southern Market, Hackensack Meridian Health.

For information about Hackensack Meridian Health and Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s cardiovascular services, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/Services/Heart-Care. For a free physician referral, call 844-HMH-WELL.

ABOUT THE AVEIR DR I2I STUDY
The Aveir DR i2i study is a prospective, multicenter, international, single-arm, pivotal investigational study designed to evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of the Aveir DR leadless pacemaker in patients who were indicated for a DDD(R) – or dual-chamber bradycardia pacing – pacemaker, which stimulates the appropriate chamber of the heart when clinically necessary. The study plan is to enroll up to 550 patients from up to 80 sites in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and all patients will be followed for a minimum of 12 months post-implant.

The Aveir DR i2i leadless pacemaker is an investigational device being clinically evaluated as part of a global pivotal study and is not yet commercially available. The device design specifications are subject to change.

About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 113,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.