From the perspective of drug treatment, there is no drug that can treat slow heartbeat. Some intravenous drugs can increase the heart rate and save lives in emergency situations, but they cannot be used for a long time.
At present, the only way to treat bradycardia is the implantation of a pacemaker. Currently, more than 400,000 patients around the world are implanted with pacemakers every year, and a total of more than 250,000 patients are implanted in China.
A cardiac pacemaker is an electronic therapeutic instrument implanted in the body. It emits electrical pulses powered by batteries through a pulse generator, and through the conduction of wire electrodes, it stimulates the myocardium in contact with the electrodes, causing the heart to Excitement and contraction, thereby treating arrhythmias such as bradycardia.
A pacemaker consists of a pulse generator and electrode leads. Pulse generator consists of integrated circuit and battery. It has an oblate appearance and is small in size, like a flat pocket watch, weighing about 20 grams. There are complex circuits inside the pulse generator that control the pacemaker. One end of the pacing electrode lead is connected to the pacemaker, and the other end reaches the heart through a vein and is fixed on the myocardial wall through a special structure.
To put it figuratively, a pacemaker is a generator wire. A pacemaker is usually implanted under the skin in the upper chest, with wires passed through a vein to the heart. The electrode at the top of the lead is fixed to the inner side of the heart muscle. When the pacemaker is working, the pulse generator emits electrical pulses, which are transmitted to the myocardium through wires and electrodes. The myocardium senses the stimulation of the electrical pulses and contracts. At the same time, the pacemaker electrodes also collect the electrical activity of the heart and store it in the pulse generator chip for analysis.
As the name suggests, a leadless pacemaker is a pacemaker without leads. The pacing lead and pulse generator are combined into one, and the volume is very small. Taking Medtronic's Micra as an example, the leadless cardiac pacemaker can be punctured through the femoral vein, and the pacemaker can be implanted into the heart cavity through the catheter. , not only reduces pain, trauma and complications, but also reduces the risk of infection. At the same time, patients can hardly feel the presence of the pacemaker after implantation, which greatly improves the patient's quality of life. The volume is only 0.8 ml and the weight is about 2 grams, so it can be directly implanted into the heart. Therefore, there are no skin ridges and scars at the site of traditional pacemaker implantation on the body surface, and it also avoids the rupture and damage of the pacemaker bag. Risks of infection, pacing lead wear and breakage, long service life of 12+ years and compatible with MRI. Leadless pacemakers are a leapfrog innovation in the field of cardiac pacemakers, which will be the development trend in the field of cardiac pacemakers.