MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center Performs First Dual Chamber Leadless Pacemaker in South LA and South Bay

LONG BEACH, Calif., March 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center's electrophysiology team, led by Dr. Mark Lee, performed Long Beach Medical Center's first treatment with the AVEIR DR Dual Chamber Leadless Pacemaker System on January 28. This new pacemaker system is the first of its kind that can be inserted through a catheter in the groin, completely avoiding surgical incision

"Leadless pacing for a single chamber has been available for several years, but the ability to pace two separate chambers is an exciting development," says Mark Lee, M.D., medical director, electrophysiology, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center. "This new pacemaker is a transformative experience for our patients from a clinical perspective and improvement in quality of life. The benefits for patients are immeasurable – having no wires or a generator means the patient will no longer have arm movement restrictions; they are safe to use in MRI machines; no surgical scarring and fewer complications, risk of infection and improved mobility."

This innovative, advanced pacemaker is roughly the size of one AAA battery, making it fit into the heart efficiently. Unlike traditional pacemakers, the AVEIR DR Dual Chamber Leadless Pacemaker System uses no leads or wires. It is inserted directly into the heart through a catheter-based procedure, eliminating the need for surgical incision in the chest and reducing the risks of complications for patients such as infections or lead-related issues.

This procedure follows the FDA's approval in July, expanding access to a minimally invasive solution for patients who require pacing in both the right atrium and right ventricle of the heart. In addition, the pacemaker provides beat-to-beat synchrony, is upgradeable from single to dual chamber therapy, and provides long-term retrieval to remove the hardware and the end of service.

The successful implant of the Dual Chamber Leadless Pacemaker provides significant benefits for patients with conditions such as atrioventricular block and sinus-node dysfunction, offering effective pacing in both chambers of the heart while reducing life-long complications. With this successful implantation, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute continues to lead the way in introducing advanced cardiac technologies to improve patient outcomes.

"I am extremely proud of Dr. Lee and the entire MHVI team for taking the proactive measure to learn and train on new technology in order for us to offer the very best to the community we serve," said David Shavelle, M.D., chief of cardiology, MemorialCare.

As one of the most high performing hospitals according to U.S. News & World Report and a six-time five-star recipient, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center continues to be recognized for its excellence in coronary bypass surgery, coronary intervention, treatment of heart attack and heart failure by heart grades, and has recently received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, as well as the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

About MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center:

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center is a member of MemorialCare, a not-for-profit, integrated healthcare system. Long Beach Medical Center has been providing the community with compassionate, quality health care for more than 100 years. At the forefront of specialized care, research, and education, Long Beach Medical Center uses the most advanced healthcare technologies, including pioneering surgical systems like – ExactechGPS^® and ExcelsiusGPS^®. Recognized among the top 3% of all California acute care hospitals, Long Beach Medical Center is recognized as "Best Hospital" for OBGYN and Orthopedics and ranked regionally in the Los Angeles Metro Area by U.S. News & World Report and earned Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. With premier centers dedicated to cancer, heart, rehabilitation, orthopedics, neurosciences, and trauma, physicians and surrounding hospitals continually refer to its accredited programs. For more information, visit memorialcare.org/LongBeach.

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SOURCE MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center