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European medical milestone
SURGEONS in a Spanish hospital have broken new medical ground by performing the firstever operation in Europe to successfully implant a wireless pacemaker in a baby.
The groundbreaking surgery was carried out by cardiologists in the Arrhythmia Unit of the Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe in Valencia. They were assisted by medical colleagues from the facility’s Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery Services.
According to Joaquín Osca, head of the Arrhythmia Unit, the baby, weighing just one and a half kilos, had a complete congenital atrioventricular block. This caused a severe bradycardia that placed the child in a lifethreatening situation he explained.
In a statement from the Generalitat, Osca revealed that the technique to relieve the baby’s heart blockage: “required the implantation of a pacemaker to guarantee an adequate heart rate for the patient’s needs.
