First wireless pacemakers implanted in Sicily, in Palermo and Ragusa

Last Updated: December 8, 2023

In Sicily, the implantation of a new wirelessly, completely intracardiac pacemaker with high longevity has begun. The first successful installations of the device, which is smaller than a mini-style battery, were performed at the Giovanni Paolo II Hospital in Ragusa and the Civic Hospital in Palermo. The Cardiology and Electrophysiology division in Ragusa and the Electrophysiology department in Palermo are among the first centers in Europe, and the first in Sicily, to use this technology, applied to four patients in need of cardiac stimulation. The new pacemaker, called Aveir VR, is used for treating patients with cardiac bradycardia. Unlike traditional pacemakers implanted in a subcutaneous chest pocket and transmitting electrical impulses to the heart through wires, this device is totally intracardiac, weighing only 2.4 grams and with a volume of 1 cc, and is inserted through the femoral vein and fixed directly into the right ventricle. The device’s battery lasts over 10 years and has a design and fixation system that allows for extraction and replacement with a new device once the battery is depleted. This new technology is described as beginning a new era in the field, with Ragusa at the forefront in Europe.