Home » News » VIDEO: World’s smallest pacemaker implanted in patient in Croatia for first time

VIDEO: World’s smallest pacemaker implanted in patient in Croatia for first time

A first in Croatia performed at KBC Rijeka (Illustration)

25 February 2019 – For the first time in Croatia, an innovative cardiac surgery has been performed at Rijeka hospital.

Last Friday, at the Department of Cardiology of the Clinic for Internal Medicine at KBC Rijeka a new heart surgery was carried out for the first time in Croatia when the world’s smallest pacemaker was implanted into two patients, the hospital said today at a press conference. 

The size of the Micra pacemaker is just 25 millimetres and it was implanted directly into the heart of two patients with heart rhythm disorders.

The revolutionary, wireless and battery-powered device is implanted directly into the heart of patients without any surgical cuts. Setting up the traditional heart electro-stimulators requires a complex operation of the device’s installation into a surgically-made pocket underneath the skin and introducing electrodes through the blood vessels into the heart.

The succesful team (Photo: KBC Rijeka)

Implantation of the Micra pacemaker was performed under local anesthesia through the vein in the groin of the patients, with the aid of a catheter system that drives the device to the right ventricle and then attaches it to the heart wall by means of flexible teeth.

The elderly patients, who were from Split and near Rijeka, were said to be doing fine after the operations, RTL reported.  

Sign up to receive the Croatia Week Newsletter

Related Posts