Two patients, residents of northern Israel, recently underwent implantation of the MICRA, the wireless pacemaker capsule, via catheterization.

These were the first such procedures in a hospital in northern Israel. Now, residents of Israel’s northern region have access to this solution for slow or irregular heart rate.

In Galilee Medical Center’s Department of Cardiology, headed by Prof. Shaul Atar, new treatments and advanced technologies have been added to the range of medical services offered to our patients. Dr. Ron Sela, head of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit, explains: “The uniqueness of this pacemaker is that it has no lead wires and can be implanted via catheterization, with no incisions, no stitches, and no discomfort in the chest area. The entire procedure takes half-an-hour and the patient can return home the next day after only 24 hours of supervision.”

The MICRA pacemaker, manufactured by Medtronic, represents advanced, state-of-the-art technology. The pacemaker weighs only 2 grams and is implanted directly into the heart with a 12-year battery, 4 years longer than any similar device. Micra is intended for patients who need a single chamber (also known as a ventricular pacemaker, or VVIR) pacemaker.

“A patient who receives the MICRA pacemaker does not even feel as if he has one implanted. This new technology helps us avoid typical complications of other pacemakers such as bleeding and infection. The minimally invasive method of inserting the pacemaker is also a solution for patients who, for medical reasons, cannot undergo traditional surgery for pacemaker insertion,” explains Dr. Sela.

The Galilee Medical Center cardiologists were assisted by Dr. Alexander Kypta from Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria, a world-renowned cardiologist specializing in leadless cardiac pacemakers.

Two patients, residents of northern Israel, recently underwent implantation of the MICRA, the wireless pacemaker capsule, via catheterization. These were the first such procedures in a hospital in northern Israel. Now, residents of Israel’s northern region have access to this solution for slow or irregular heart rate.

In Galilee Medical Center’s Department of Cardiology, headed by Prof. Shaul Atar, new treatments and advanced technologies have been added to the range of medical services offered to our patients. Dr. Ron Sela, head of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit, explains: “The uniqueness of this pacemaker is that it has no lead wires and can be implanted via catheterization, with no incisions, no stitches, and no discomfort in the chest area. The entire procedure takes half-an-hour and the patient can return home the next day after only 24 hours of supervision.”

The MICRA pacemaker, manufactured by Medtronic, represents advanced, state-of-the-art technology. The pacemaker weighs only 2 grams and is implanted directly into the heart with a 12-year battery, 4 years longer than any similar device. Micra is intended for patients who need a single chamber (also known as a ventricular pacemaker, or VVIR) pacemaker.

“A patient who receives the MICRA pacemaker does not even feel as if he has one implanted. This new technology helps us avoid typical complications of other pacemakers such as bleeding and infection. The minimally invasive method of inserting the pacemaker is also a solution for patients who, for medical reasons, cannot undergo traditional surgery for pacemaker insertion,” explains Dr. Sela.

The Galilee Medical Center cardiologists were assisted by Dr. Alexander Kypta from Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria, a world-renowned cardiologist specializing in leadless cardiac pacemakers.