Comparing New Leadless Pacemakers | 合法醫療器材資訊網

On the back of encouraging Phase III trial results, Medtronics "Micra" leadless pacemaker was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April, beating St. Jude Medicals "Nanostim" to approval[1]—but does it have more limitations?

Despite being small for pacemakers, both devices are rather large for transfemoral catheterization—the access site for both devices.

Sheaths for St. Jude Medicals Nanostim device measure 18 French or 6mm in diameter, to which Dr. Prapa Kanagaratnam of St. Marys Hospital, Imperial College, London expressed some concern. "An 18-F sheath is a big sheath to put in the leg," he said to heartwire[2].

"A lot of the patients were putting these devices into are small, elderly people," said Dr. Kanagaratnam. "So its still a procedure that we feel anxious about."

Micra is shorte...