MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT: Health First’s Heart Center Leads the Way With Pacemaker Implant Breakthrough

Monday marked the beginning of the wireless dual-chamber pacemaker era

Health First AVEIR Pacemaker 1st procedure from Health First on Vimeo.

The Heart Center is the only robust structural heart program on Florida’s East Coast between Daytona and Fort Lauderdale. 

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center added to its strong reputation for minimally invasive, advanced surgical heart procedures on Monday when two of its Cardiac Electrophysiologists successfully completed Abbott’s AVEIR™ DR Leadless Pacemaker implant procedures. 

Holmes Regional’s Heart Center is the first in the Southern Atlantic region and among the first in the country to have begun offering the technology. Health First Medical Group’s Cardiac Electrophysiologists Vishal Patel, MD, and Ken Lee, MD, each completed a procedure before lunch. 

“This long-awaited tiny device is a seismic innovation in cardiac pacing,” Dr. Lee said.

Dr. Lee is a national leader in the field of leadless pacing and has implanted more than 500 leadless pacing systems. This summer, he marked his 100th AVEIR™ VR Leadless Pacemaker procedure at Health First’s Cape Canaveral Hospital. Two of his patients this year were 100 years old. 

“Today’s achievement is a testament to Health First being looked at as a leader in Electrophysiology,” said Dr. Patel. 

Dr. Patel has performed more than 100 leadless pacemaker procedures (AVEIR™ VR and Medtronic Micra™). Leadless pacemakers are implanted directly into the heart in a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure and eliminate the need for cardiac leads. Leadless pacemakers reduce lead-related complications and have a less restrictive recovery period. 

Abbott’s AVEIR™ DR uses two unique pacemaker devices, one that paces the right ventricle and one that paces the right atrium.

These devices communicate wirelessly on every heartbeat using trademarked technology that provides synchronized pacing based on a person’s clinical needs. The procedure leaves no scarring, and since the pacemaker is the size of a triple AAA battery, the device is not visible to the eye.

Dr. Patel said a dual-chamber pacemaker may be well suited for patients with sinus node dysfunction (or sinus pauses) – present in about 80% of all patients who need a pacemaker – “because for the first time we’re putting in an atrial implant, which is what you need for sinus node dysfunction – you need to pace the atrium.” 

It may also be optimal for patients with intermittent or complete heart block. 

“The AVEIR DR is a true dual-chamber leadless pacemaker. No incisions. No scars. No wires. This long-awaited technology is a game changer!” Dr. Lee said.

“Our Electrophysiologists have been delivering very good results for our patients, and patients can expect the same results here if not better than some of the academic surgical centers in the North,” Dr. Patel said.

“We have an excellent reputation. You know, we have patients transferred here from academic centers – usually it’s the opposite. We have academic centers calling us, asking if we’ll take their patient.”

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