Implantable cardiac monitoring devices

An electrophysiologist places the ICD in your chest or abdomen. It uses electrical pulses to control life-threatening irregular heartbeats and requires up to three wires, called leads, which are placed in the blood vessels in your heart's cavity. The leads provide an electric pulse to your heart. An ICD may be used if you have survived a cardiac arrest or have a weakened heart muscle.

 The newest option is the subcutaneous implantable defibrillator (S-ICD) system. Your electrophysiologist implants it just below your skin on the left side of your chest and there are no wires placed in your heart which makes it more manageable and comfortable.

The Reveal LINQ™ ICM is a miniature wireless cardiac monitor designed to help your doctor diagnose and monitor patients who have or may have atrial fibrillation (AFib). The device is one-third the size of a AAA battery and allows your doctor to monitor your heart remotely for up to three years. It is placed just beneath your skin on the upper left side of your chest and is performed in a quick outpatient procedure that requires local anesthesia. It is similar to an injection and nearly invisible once inserted.

A cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), commonly referred to as a pacemaker, is used to treat heart failure. A CRT sends small electrical pulses to the lower chambers of your heart which helps them beat together and become more synchronized, allowing your heart to work more efficiently as it pumps blood and oxygen to your body.

The device is a small, lightweight computer that runs on a battery that tour medical team places it under your skin below your collarbone. The device's leads (wires) are threaded through a blood vessel into your heart and it is programmed through a computer located in your doctor's office. The device retrieves information about your heart that helps your doctor treat heart failure.

The world's smallest pacemaker, the Medtronic Micra ™ does everything a traditional pacemaker does, but it is one-tenth of the size. The device, a tiny capsule less than an inch long, is implanted without invasive surgery directly into the heart wall, resulting in no scarring or evidence of the pacemaker outside the body.

Approved by the FDA in April 2016, the leadless design has many benefits, including reducing infection risk and eliminating the issue of leads dislodging with movement, allowing patients to get back to activity quicker after the procedure.