Jammu man gets capsule-size pacemaker, doctors claim it's 'world's smallest'

New Delhi, July 28

A Jammu-based businessman has received a new lease of life after undergoing a surgery to get a new "capsule-size" pacemaker to treat his heart rhythm condition, doctors said on Wednesday, claiming that it is the "world's smallest" pacemaker.

At a virtual press conference held here, the doctors and the patient shared the challenges and experiences of the procedure.

Subash Chandra Sharma, 52, benefited from the "world's smallest pacemaker" implantation to treat his heart rhythm condition, the doctors said.

The surgery was performed recently at Max hospital, Saket, by a team of doctors, led by Dr Balbir Singh, chairman, cardiac sciences at the facility.

"The capsule-sized pacemaker is 93 per cent smaller than conventional pacemakers and needs a minimally invasive approach. It could potentially benefit a larger section of the people in India who undergo pacemaker surgery every year," according to a statement issued by Dr Singh.

Sharma, who hails from Jammu, had earlier experienced a sudden increase in his heart rate while playing with his children and had a blackout following such an activity. Sensing something serious, he consulted a doctor locally and then took a second opinion from Dr Singh, it said.

"The doctor suggested a few tests, including Holter monitoring, which showed missing heartbeats. In this condition called bradycardia, the heart beats slower than normal, which can be corrected by a pacemaker which sends electrical signals to the heart to correct the beat," the statement said.

"After careful consideration of the patient's condition and the test results, we knew that a pacemaker surgery was needed to avoid potentially serious consequences. I suggested the pacemaker to Sharma to minimise any risk, since he had elevated blood sugar and blood pressure levels," Singh said.

Sharma said he was initially apprehensive of the full-fledged surgery and anxious of the restrictions that come with implants.

"Some of my patients felt slight discomfort with the traditional pacemaker, which is placed under the skin in the chest. At times, it, could potentially lead to chances of an infection. But the new leadless pacemaker has minimised the risk of pocket infections like inflammatory skin changes, including pain, swelling, redness etc," Dr Singh claimed.

Since this advanced pacemaker is placed inside the heart via a vein in the leg, the chest incision is avoided and also "does not create a scar or a bump under the skin," he said.

A spokesperson of the team said the surgery was held on May 29 and this smaller pacemaker costs Rs 14 lakh on an average.

After getting discharged from the hospital, Sharma said, "Before admission, I had a couple of episodes where I blacked out completely. I also experienced shortness of breath, so I wanted to go ahead with the procedure." — PTI