UC Davis Director of Pediatric Electrophysiology Dan Cortez has set another world record: He is the first to implant a dual chamber leadless pacemaker in a child. His case report was published this week in the journal PACE: Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology . A 13-year-old patient was referred to the UC Davis pediatric electrophysiology clinic for presyncope, a feeling of lightheadedness or dizziness without actually fainting, after being monitored for years for congenital complete heart block.
Pacemakers are typically placed in children with congenital complete heart block, a rare condition that can lead to sudden death and affects 1 in about 15,000 to 22,000 children. Congenital complete heart block may occur due to repaired congenital heart disease or genetic predisposition. It can also be acquired from exposure to certain maternal antibodies.
After serial electrocardiograms and Holter monitors showed progressively lower average heart rates, Cortez talked with the patient and their family about pacemaker options. Dual chamber leadless pacemakers help regulate the heart's rhythm by stimulating the heart's upper (atrial) and lower (ventricular) chambers. Because the patient wanted to remain active in sports without restrictions, leadless pacing was presented as an option, and the family agreed.
The AVEIR dual chamber leadless pacemaker was implanted via the patient's right internal jugular vein (instead of the femoral vein) so the patient could move easily and return to .