Pacemakers have been around for more than 50 years, but the technology that helps the heart beat properly isn't a perfect fit for everyone. There's risk for infection and the wires that connect the device to the heart can break - or in some cases, cause severe complications.
One of those complications, called venous occlusive disease, occurs when scar tissue builds up in the veins, blocking blood return to the heart. That's what happened to 58-year-old Norm Johnson.
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Two years ago, Johnson had a pacemaker to help control the rhythm of his heart but the wires were causing severe complications like extreme swelling and headaches.
"I slept in a hospital bed in my living room for a year and a half. I kept wondering, you know, am I going to get better? It was rough," he said.
Several doctors and hospitals later, Johnson enrolled in a clinical
trial at Cleveland Clinic for a new device called a leadless pacemaker. It doesn't have wires and it doesn't require any incisions.
"It's a fully self-contained unit less than 10% of a traditional pacemaker. It gets around the long standing limitations of a traditional pacemaker," explained Dr. Daniel Cantillon with Cleveland Clinic.
A flexible tube, or catheter, is snaked through a vein in the leg up to the heart and the leadless pacemaker is placed inside one chamber. It's anchored by a tiny cork-screw
-like tip and controls the heart's rhythm. The device is still experimental but new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows it's safe and effective, especially so for Johnson.
"He could preserve the benefits of having a pacemaker while alleviating the problems that were created by the traditional pacemaker, you know it was an absolute home run," said Cantillon.
Johnson feels like himself again. His heart doesn't miss a beat, and neither does he. He's back in the great outdoors doing the things he loves.
"I couldn't ask for a better life, you know. I'm back to doing what I like to do. So, life has gotten really good," added Johnson.
The leadless pacemaker is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It's currently designed for someone who only needs one chamber of the heart stimulated: that's about 10-percent of people who need a pacemaker.
News4Jax, together with Baker-Gilmour Cardiovascular Institute and Walgreens, have put together the Take it to Heart Four Step Challenge, to help you and your family get heart healthy. On the fourth of every month, we take a moment to encourage you to sign up.
There are four steps to the challenge:
To sign up for the challenge, go to www.takeittoheartnow.org.