NHS launches wireless pacemaker… that reduces risk of painful complications

A revolutionary wireless pacemaker that reduces the risk of painful complications is being offered to NHS patients.

Traditional pacemakers use wires and a generator under the skin to keep the heart beating regularly, but the device can short-circuit and the generator can become infected, requiring patients to undergo complex surgery to replace it.

The innovative AVEIR DR has been hailed as a world first, with a global trial – published in the journal New England Medical last year – revealing it has a 97% success rate in returning a patient’s heart rhythm to normal.

However, the main advantage of the device is that it completely eliminates side effects such as infection and pocket hematoma.

“Complications such as infections are common with conventional pacemakers, which is why this operation is so exciting,” said Professor Tom Wong, who performed the first procedure.

“This is a major feat of engineering, where the risk is low and the device is very effective.”

A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that one in six patients with a traditional pacemaker suffers complications within three years.

The new pacemaker consists of two pill-shaped devices, each about the size of a AAA battery. They are implanted directly into the heart through a vein in the leg, rather than through the shoulder like traditional devices, speeding up recovery time.

The “pills” are placed in two chambers of the heart – the right atrium and the right ventricle – and communicate with each other while emitting electrical impulses to regulate the pulse.

Single wireless implants of this type have been proposed before, but most heart problems affect both chambers, meaning a limited number of patients are eligible. The dual device opens up the possibility of effective treatment for many more of the two million people in the UK who suffer from heart rhythm problems.

Earlier this month, Mohamed Benkahoul, 56, became the first person in the country to receive the device outside of a trial period.

The father-of-two from London, who has end-stage kidney disease and heart failure, became eligible after his usual pacemaker became infected and failed two years ago.

Without a functioning pacemaker, he suffered debilitating problems related to his fragile heart, including swelling in his limbs, shortness of breath and weight gain.

It is hoped the device will allow him to become active again and lose enough weight to be eligible for a kidney transplant.

“I was very happy to be the first to receive this pacemaker,” says Mohamed. “It already helps me in everyday life, I can go out and socialize again.”

“The doctors also told me that I could now have full dialysis treatment which my heart was not able to handle before.”

The pacemaker’s availability within the NHS follows a successful rollout in America and the EU.

Over the coming months, the device will be administered in specialist hospitals, including St Thomas’ Hospital in London and Basildon University Hospital in Essex. It will initially be available to high-risk patients whose traditional pacemakers no longer work.

“It’s a life-changing device that could eventually become commonplace for everyone, but there’s still a lot of research to be done on its long-term effects,” says

Professor Wong: “We are still in our early days.”