{"id":8406,"date":"2024-01-04T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8406"},"modified":"2024-01-04T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T15:30:00","slug":"picking-up-speed-with-two-pacemakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8406","title":{"rendered":"Picking up speed with two pacemakers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2024-01-04T15:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

A Texas Veteran is now breathing easier thanks to a groundbreaking procedure he recently received at Michael E. DeBakey VA<\/a> in Houston.\u00a0In November, Eric Johnson received the second of two, tiny, leadless pacemakers implanted in his heart through a first-of-its kind technology approved by the FDA in June.<\/p>\n

Houston VA offers Veterans with abnormally slow heart rates the new Avier DR Leadless Pacemaker technology<\/a>.\u00a0 The leadless system consists of two tiny pacemakers\u2014each smaller than a AAA battery\u2014that are inserted via a catheter in a large vein in the thigh. Without any incisions, two devices are secured within the upper and lower chambers of the heart.\u00a0The dual pacemakers work together to normalize the heart\u2019s rhythm.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
Army Veteran Eric Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Johnson, who served in the Army in the 90s, was one of two Veterans to undergo the procedure at Houston VA a few weeks ago, and said he is already thrilled with the results.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I\u2019m picking up speed.\u201d<\/h2>\n

\u201cI just got the second pacemaker a week ago and already I am feeling like a million bucks,\u201d he said. \u201cI was struggling with shortness of breath, and I kept going between slow heart beats and racing heart beats. It was so hard to get around, but now I\u2019m picking up speed and feeling back to my old self.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Hamid Afshar, electrophysiologist at Houston VA, abnormal slowing of the pulse often occurs in older Veterans and can cause them to experience fatigue, dizziness, passing out and diminished quality of life. In the past, conventional pacemakers\u2014which are usually inserted under the chest\u2014would noticeably bulge out and require the placement of leads or wires on the heart muscle. The leadless technology can reduce inflammation, scars and issues like wire insulation breaks and device infection.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
Avier leadless pacemaker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe leadless dual-chamber pacemaker is an excellent option to treat abnormally slow heart rates,\u201d Afshar said. \u201cThere are no wires implanted in veins, no metal device under the skin and no surgical incision. This means the potential for less risk, greater comfort and fewer post-procedure restrictions for our Veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two pacemaker devices communicate through electrical pulses to make sure every heartbeat stays in sync. The devices last 10 to 15 years. After that, doctors can simply insert another set.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo pacemakers are both a gamechanger and a life changer.\u201d<\/h2>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to be able to offer Veterans this cutting-edge technology,\u201d said Dr. Irakli Giorgberidze, director of Houston VA\u2019s Electrophysiology Lab.\u00a0\u201cOur goal is to improve our Veterans\u2019 quality of life, and leadless pacemakers in both chambers of the heart without leads is both a gamechanger and a life changer for our Veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n

After his procedure, Johnson, who works at the Houston VA as a nutrition and food service worker, said he is looking forward to the future. \u201cI am proud to be a Veteran serving other Veterans at VA, and getting this new pacemaker is helping me get back to work and back to being myself. I can\u2019t wait to get moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An army Veteran received the second of two tiny leadless pacemakers implanted in his heart with first-of-its kind technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nPicking up speed with two pacemakers - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An army Veteran received the second of two tiny leadless pacemakers implanted in his heart with first-of-its kind technology.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8406\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Picking up speed with two pacemakers - 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