A new device which prevents sudden cardiac arrests has been used for the first time at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH).
The new type of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) will be used on cardiac patients at the John Radcliffe Hospital's Heart Centre who have had or are at risk of developing life-threatening arrhythmias.
ICDs, small devices placed under the chest skin and soft tissue, continuously monitor a patient's heart rhythm.
When they sense a fast and dangerous heart rhythm - a cardiac arrest - they deliver a life-saving electric shock to the patient's heart.
The key difference of this new 'Aurora extra-vascular ICD' system, produced by Medtronic, is that the wire, which allows the heart and device to communicate, is located behind the sternum.
This means it offers the features of a transvenous - standard - ICD without the need for hardware to be implanted inside the heart or great veins.
Therefore, it should be easier and safer to extract in the future if a problem develops.
One of the first patients to use this ICD was Ellen Meek, who was fitted with the device in June.
Ms Meek was diagnosed with an inherited form of a heart muscle disease called Dilated Cardiomyopathy last year.
She had the device fitted as a preventative measure because her condition means she is at high risk of sudden death from arrhythmias.
She said: "I discussed my options with Dr Julian Ormerod and we decided that the best course of action would be for me to have an ICD.
"This ICD appealed to me due to its smaller size, the fact that it was based on newly developed technology and that it could perform some pacing functions without having leads implanted directly in my heart.
"I am really pleased with how smoothly the device implantation and recovery has gone.
"After two weeks I was pain free and going about most of my usual activities including my lunchtime walks.
"I now feel very comfortable with the device and am looking forward to getting back to full fitness again, including training for a half marathon later this year."
Dr Julian Ormerod, a consultant cardiologist at OUH who implanted the new type of ICD for the first time in April, added: "We are very pleased to be able to offer this new type of ICD to our patients in Oxford and the surrounding area.
"It has several features which may be particularly beneficial to certain patient groups, including those in my Inherited Cardiac Conditions clinic who often require an ICD at an early age."
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