Welcome to Heart News, one of your destinations for news about heart matters! Hosted here will be updates in the ongoing efforts within the pediatric cardiology community. Since the majority of updates and advances in the pacemaker field occur among adults before trickling to children, the latest in adult pacemaker care will also be featured here.
We emphasize again that we are not a medical site. Rather, we are a warehouse or hub of pacemaker information, focusing on pediatrics. We aim to build community within and provide a voice for this quiet community. For this reason, we call on you to share what you know. Email us at [email protected] to share in our effort!
At this time, we draw your attention to a few current stories in the news relating to pacemakers.
First, NYU Winthrop Hospital successfully announced the implementation of the first leadless pacemaker. While this surgery is not available for everyone, it does indicate progress in the pacemaker field.
Second, Children’s Hospital Colorado recently discovered that 3D echocardiograms are far more accurate for pacemaker placement. This innovation will benefit children and adults with finding suitable locations for their pacemaker.
Third, Children’s Hospital Boston is searching for additional ways to reduce the cost of these pacemaker surgeries on children’s families. Since these can be major surgeries that are a large financial burden, it’s encouraging to see hospitals recognize this and workshop solutions to those in need. Additional advances can be seen in Sacramento, as Dr. Dan Cortez successfully implanted the smallest pacemaker ever, into the smallest patient to ever receive one. This advancement reveals an alternative to major surgery, where the newly developed, tiny pacemaker can be inserted and absorbed through only a small incision.
Finally, the Heart Institute at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh successfully implanted its first leadless pacemaker. While more research remains into when and how these leadless pacemakers can be utilized, it does demonstrate a tremendous advancement in medical technology for the medical community. Hopefully, these selected recent heart-related news matters will give you hope and optimism toward the future of heart care.
Again, thank you for visiting this page and be sure to circle back, as we’ll continue to update this section regularly. Please feel free to check out our other pages for more information about “pediatric” pacemakers, including our inspirational Triumphs and Tributes page to hear from patients and caregivers! Lastly, don’t forget to follow us on our social media channels, too: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Because: This is where little hearts find their beat.
Until next time, and with heart,
The PPP