In November, the INW EP team implanted their first EV-ICD – an Extravascular Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator – with Electrophysiologist Dr. Matthew Sather as the lead implanter and Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Dennis Nichols assisting.
The Medtronic EV ICD system is a first-of-its-kind implantable defibrillator, designed to avoid certain risks of traditional, transvenous ICDs because its lead (thin wire) is placed outside the heart and veins, under the sternum (breastbone). The system offers anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP), pause prevention pacing, and a device similar in size, shape, and battery longevity to transvenous ICDs. Using a minimally invasive approach, the device is implanted below the left armpit (in the left mid-axillary region).
By placing the leads of the ICD outside of the heart, the rise of long-term complications is reduced, with no reduction in effectiveness of the device itself.
Congratulations to the EP team and everyone involved in the implant of this exciting new technology.
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