Unlike most pacemakers that are placed in the patient’s chest with leads running to the heart, the Micra is implanted directly into the patient’s heart via the femoral vein in the groin.
Not everyone is a candidate for a leadless pacemaker. Currently, the device is only available for patients with certain medical conditions, such as atrial fibrillation and/or a slow heart rate (bradycardia) who need single-chamber ventricular pacing only.
The pacemaker is put in place using a long, thin tube called a catheter and is performed under general anaesthesia. The catheter is inserted into the femoral vein through a very small incision in your groin. Your doctor will use an X-ray machine to guide the catheter to your heart. Once the catheter is inside the right ventricle, your doctor will place the pacemaker into position in the heart. The device is tested to make sure it is attached to the wall and programmed correctly. Then, the catheter is removed and the incision site is closed by applying pressure to the area.
The Micra is the smallest pacemaker at 25.9 mm in length, with an outer diameter of 6.7 mm, and weighs 1.75 grams. Micra is intended for patients who need a single chamber pacemaker (also known as a ventricular pacemaker, or VVIR).
