A Jammu-based businessman has recently received a new lease of life after undergoing surgery to get a new “capsule-size” pacemaker to treat his heart rhythm problem, said doctors on Wednesday. The doctors have also claimed that claiming that it is the “world’s smallest” pacemaker so far.
The doctors and the patient shared the challenges and experiences of the procedure, at a virtual press conference held today.
Subash Chandra Sharma who is 52, benefited from the “world’s smallest pacemaker” implantation to treat his heart rhythm condition, informed the doctors.
Recently the surgery was performed at Max hospital, Saket, by a team of doctors, led by Dr Balbir Singh, chairman, cardiac sciences at the facility.
According to a statement issued by Dr Singh said, “The capsule-sized pacemaker is 93 per cent smaller than conventional pacemakers and needs a minimally invasive approach. It could potentially benefit a larger section of the people in India who undergo pacemaker surgery every year.”
Sharma, who belongs from Jammu, had earlier experienced a sudden increase in his heart rate while playing with his children and had a blackout following suchactivity.
Following a sensation of something serious, he consulted a local doctor immediately and then took a second opinion from Dr Singh, the statement said.
“The doctor suggested a few tests, including Holter monitoring, which showed missing heartbeats. In this condition called bradycardia, the heart beats slower than normal, which can be corrected by a pacemaker which sends electrical signals to the heart to correct the beat,” the statement said.
“After careful consideration of the patient’s condition and the test results, we knew that a pacemaker surgery was needed to avoid potentially serious consequences. I suggested the pacemaker to Sharma to minimise any risk, since he had elevated blood sugar and blood pressure levels,” Singh said.
Although, he was initially anxious of the full-fledged surgery and nervous of the problems that come with implants, said Sharma.
“Some of my patients felt slight discomfort with the traditional pacemaker, which is placed under the skin in the chest. At times it, could potentially lead to chances of an infection. But the new leadless pacemaker has minimised the risk of pocket infections like inflammatory skin changes, including pain, swelling, redness etc,” Dr Singh claimed.
A spokesperson of the team said the surgery was held on May 29 and this smaller pacemaker costs Rs 14 lakh on an average.
Since this advanced pacemaker is placed inside the heart through a vein in the leg, the chest cut is avoided and also “does not create a scar or a bump under the skin,” he said.
After getting discharged from the hospital, Sharma said, “Before admission, I had a couple of episodes where I blacked out completely. I also experienced shortness of breath, so I wanted to go ahead with the procedure.”
