“Everything went well”
This new generation defibrillator was implanted in a man and a woman Thursday at the Montreal Heart Institute (ICM). The intervention was a success, rejoices the DD Blandine Mondesert, cardiologist at the ICM. “They have almost no pain. Everything went well. The defibrillators have been tested and each time they worked well,” says the specialist. The first patient was discharged Thursday evening and the second Friday morning. To prevent cardiac arrest, the ICM installs around 550 cardiac defibrillators each year.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE MONTREAL HEART INSTITUTE
The D teamD Blandine Mondesert during the installation of the new defibrillator on Thursday
Save the patient’s life
Heart attacks, heart valve problems and certain viral infections can weaken the heart muscle and cause rhythm disturbances. These pathologies can in particular lead to potentially dangerous rapid heartbeats. In these situations, a defibrillator, an electronic device that constantly listens to the heartbeat, can be implanted in the patient, in order to potentially “save their life,” says the DD Mondesert. In the event of a rhythm disturbance, two types of treatments can be offered: either the defibrillator sends a painful electrical shock, or it quickly stimulates the heart in a painless manner, which is called ATP treatment.
Reduce complications and pain
IMAGE PROVIDED BY MEDTRONIC
The new generation defibrillator
Until now, there were two main types of defibrillators. The first, implanted directly into the veins of the heart, can stimulate the heart using ATP treatment. However, the positioning of the electronic device in the blood vessels can cause complications, indicates the DD Mondesert. The second type of defibrillator, implanted under the skin, reduces complications, but cannot use ATP treatment. The new defibrillator installed on Thursday combines the advantages of the two previous methods, without their disadvantages. It thus makes it possible to stimulate the heart without pain, but also without the high risks of complications, since it is not installed inside the blood vessels.
Shock-related trauma
If possible, discharges induced by the defibrillator should be avoided. “Some have psychological trauma following a shock, such as post-traumatic syndromes,” says the DD Mondesert. Furthermore, studies show that receiving a shock from the defibrillator increases the risk of long-term mortality, she indicates. The new defibrillator from Medtronic should prevent shocks in 70 to 80% of cases. Shocks can still be delivered if cardiac stimulation treatment proves ineffective.
On the way to spreading
Several hospitals in Quebec also offer the installation of defibrillators, notably the Sherbrooke University Hospital Center (CHUS), the McGill University Health Center and the University Institute of Cardiology and Pneumology of Quebec (IUCPQ). These establishments should soon implement these new defibrillators, indicates the DD Mondesert. “The IUCPQ will soon be putting it into patients. They are almost ready,” she says. These new generation defibrillators cannot, however, be placed in all patients, since they cannot be implanted in someone who has already had a heart operation.