UC San Diego Health First in Region to Implant Dual Chamber, Leadless Pacemaker
March 26, 2024 — UC San Diego Health is the first health system in San Diego to successfully implant the world’s first dual chamber and leadless pacemaker system to help treat people with irregular heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias, which can lead to complications like palpitations, fainting and stroke. The most common arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, will affect approximately 12.1 million people in the United States by 2030, based on an estimation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are the standard of care to regulate a patient’s irregular heartbeat. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2023, a new leadless pacemaker system placed in both chambers of the heart and using a novel communication technology is now offering a more minimally invasive option for patients. UC San Diego Health implanted the pacemaker system in the first patient in February 2024. “To have the option to us