ASHEVILLE — Mission Hospital has successfully implanted a new type of pacemaker that can help significantly more patients with slow or irregular heart rhythms — making it the first hospital in Western North Carolina to offer this advanced treatment.
Unlike traditional pacemakers, which require wires (called leads) and a surgical pocket under the skin, this new system is leadless and placed directly inside the heart using a minimally invasive procedure. For patients, this means fewer complications, less discomfort, and a faster recovery.
This technology is especially important because nearly 80% of people who need a pacemaker require support in two chambers of the heart — the upper chamber (atrium) and the lower chamber (ventricle). Until now, leadless pacemakers were typically limited to treating only one chamber. This new system can coordinate both chambers, allowing many more patients to benefit from a leadless approach…