Abbott‘s (NYSE:ABT) Nanostim leadless pacemaker was found to be safe and effective after three years, outside of a battery-related malfunction that required a redesign, according to study data reported by Healio.
Data came from the first-in-human Leadless study and was published in a research letter in the journal Circulation, according to the report.
A single patient was reported to have experienced a complication caused by a battery malfunction, which culminated in a battery advisory that was sent to doctors and the redevelopment of battery components, Healio reports.
A total of 33 patients were followed for up to 38 months in the Leadless trial, with a single patient unable to receive the Nanostim device due to a problem.
Survival at three years was reported at 74%, with no deaths reported as being related to the device, according to the report.
The rate of freedom from serious adverse events was reported at 89.9% at 40 months, with three patients experiencing device-related complications, according to Healio.
One patient had a reported procedure-related perforation leading to cardiac tamponade, another had an inadvertent placement of the device through a patent foramen oval leading to removal and re-implantation, while the last had a battery malfunction at 37 months that caused loss of communication, with the device being removed and replaced, according to the report.
No incidents of late device dislodgements, device infections or pacemaker syndrome were reported, and at three years electrical performance of the device was reported as being adequate, Healio reports.
“The overall [leadless cardiac pacemaker] complication rate of 10.1% is comparable to previous reports of transvenous pacemaker complications. Development of a new battery should resolve [the battery malfunction] issue. The adequate performance and freedom from [serious adverse device effects] at midterm follow-up in this first-in-humans patient cohort support the use of leadless pacing as an alternative to transvenous pacing, especially considering the promise of decreasing long-term pacemaker complications,” study author Dr. Fleur Tjong of Amsterdam’s AMC Heart Center said, according to the report.
