Ohio Heart Physicians: First in the Tristate to Perform New Pacemaker Implant
Feb 29th 2008
New MRI Compatible Pacemaker Implanted at The Christ Hospital
Cincinnati-Physicians at The Christ Hospital performed the first implant of a pacemaker designed to be compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners in the Tristate. The Medtronic EnRhythm MRITM SureScanTM pacing system recently was implanted in a 78-year-old man by Madhukar Gupta, M.D. , electrophysiologist at The Christ Hospital and Ohio Heart and Vascular Center. Both Dr. Gupta and the patient are available for interview. The EnRhythm pacemaker technology is being tested in a clinical trial through The Lindner Center at The Christ Hospital by Ohio Heart physician and principle investigator Edward J. Schloss, M.D.
MRI lets doctors see internal organs, blood vessels, muscles, joints, tumors, areas of infection and more, without X-rays or surgery, and without exposing the patient to any ionizing radiation. The MRI machine creates a magnetic field, sends radio waves through the body, then measures the response with a computer, creating an image of the inside of the body. In many cases, MRI gives information that cannot be seen on an X-ray, ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan. An analysis conducted by Medtronic indicated that up to 75 percent of pacemaker patients may need an MRI during their lifetime.
“Today, patients with implanted devices such as pacemakers and ICDs cannot receive an MRI scan, leaving them without access to this frequently used, non-invasive diagnostic tool,” said Dr. Gupta.
“We’re hopeful the clinical trial of this new pacemaker and lead system will help address this unmet need,” says Dr. Schloss.
The EnRhythm MRI SureScan pacing system consists of the dual-chamber EnRhythm MRITM SureScanTM pacemaker and CapSureFix MRIÔ SureScanTM pacing leads (Model 5086MRI). The clinical trial is a prospective, randomized, controlled, unblinded, multi-center study, involving 470 individuals. All patients in the trial will receive an EnRhythm MRI SureScan pacing system, and two-thirds of the participants will receive MRI scans. The expected study duration and follow up time is approximately 30 months.
Pacemaker technology has extended the lives of millions of patients with heart rhythm conditions, and each year nearly 1 million pacemakers are implanted in patients worldwide. In 2006, nearly 400 pacemakers were implanted at The Christ Hospital.
For more information about the EnRhythm trial, please call The Lindner Clinical Trials Center at 513-585-1777.
From pioneering trials to the latest studies in cardiovascular and multi-specialty medicine, investigators at The Lindner Clinical Trials Center continue to bring the newest treatment and technologies to patients in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky before they are available anywhere else. With more than 900 clinical research protocols, the Lindner Center research has been validated through more than 500 publications in peer-reviewed medical journals.
The Christ Hospital is a 555-bed, not-for-profit acute care hospital, offering services in cardiovascular care, spine treatment, women’s health, major surgery, cancer, behavioral medicine, orthopedics, emergency care, kidney transplant and others. It is consistently recognized by U.S.News & World Report as one of the nation’s top hospitals, and has been named Cincinnati’s Most Preferred Hospital for 12 consecutive years by National Research Corporation (NRC). For more information about The Christ Hospital, visit www.TheChristHospital.com.