Epicardial Lead PlacementPatients with heart failure or irregular heart rhythms may require the implantation of a special device called a pacemaker to regulate the heart beat, or improve the efficiency of damaged cardiac tissue. The device is surgically implanted in the chest and attached to the heart by wires, or leads, that carry electrical signals to the cardiac muscle which cause the heart to contract. The pacemaker is programmed to adjust the heart's rhythm according to the demand place on it by the body.
Usually pacemaker implantation is accomplished in the electrophysiolgy lab and no general anaesthesia is needed. However, in some cases the leads may have to be placed directly on the surface of the heart in a procedure called epicardial lead placement. Traditionally, epicardial lead placement required open-heart surgery resulting in extensive scarring and lengthy recovery time.
With the advent of minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery, a new technique became available involving less trauma, less pain and faster recovery. Robotic epicardial lead placement takes about one hour and many patients are allowed return home the same day. In addition, better lead placement can be achieved, allowing the pacemaker to do a better job of sensing and regulating the heart.
Saint Joseph's Center for Robotic Surgery offers this new approach to epicardial lead placement through the use of the da Vinci Surgical System. For the clinically appropriate patient, da Vinci epicardial lead placement offers a number of potential benefits, including:
- Improved pacemaker performance
- Less post-operative pain
- Less risk of infection
- Less anesthesia
- Less blood loss
- Shorter hospital stay
- Faster and more complete recovery
- Quicker return to normal daily activities
For more information about robotic surgery, call 1-866-SJ-ROBOT (1-866-757-6268). For more information about Saint Joseph's Heart and Vascular Institute, call 678-843-7633. |
