Erlanger Heart And Lung Institute First In The Country To Implant New Defibrillator
Media Release
UT College of Medicine Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN
September 17, 2020
Pictured in the photo from the Chattanoogan.com article, left to right: Blake Waller, Abbott representative; Dr. Harish Manyam, Chief of Cardiology at Erlanger Health System and Faculty, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship and the Department of Medicine; and Darren Bielejeski, Abbott representative
The Erlanger Heart and Lung Institute announces Dr. Harish Manyam has successfully
performed the first procedure in the country to implant a unique dual chamber implantable
cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). The same day, he was also the first in the country
to implant a single chamber ICD. This latest advancement features compatibility with
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Bluetooth communication for a more connection
between patients and their doctors.
The Erlanger cardiology team is now offering these ICDs and cardiac resynchronization
therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) devices for patients with abnormal heart rhythms and
heart failure. The high voltage devices offer a smartphone app and Bluetooth communication
for improved remote monitoring and streamlined communications to help doctors tailor
therapy to a patient's unique clinical needs.
“This new innovative device, especially in the time of a pandemic, allows patients
to have health care remotely and without being in the hospital,” Dr. Manyam, chief
of cardiology at Erlanger Health System said. “It continues to improve access to patients,
the ability to live their life without worrying about a home monitor as the device
can transmit via their phone. We continue to bring the newest and most innovative
techniques to the region and are excited about the opportunity to improve health care
in this region.”
The new system pairs with an intuitive smartphone application designed to help streamline
communication between doctors and their patients. The app provides access to data,
device performance and transmission history, which helps patients take an active role
in their healthcare. Through the app, physicians can continuously monitor their patients
remotely, allowing for identification of asymptomatic episodes as well as patient-triggered
transmissions, which can lead to earlier intervention.
The CDC estimates that as many as 6.1 million people in the United States battle cardiac
arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms. ICDs are often recommended to help reduce
the risks of life-threatening arrhythmias. For patients with heart failure or in situations
when the heart's chambers beat out of sync, CRT-Ds can be used to restore the heart's
natural pattern of beating.
For more information about treatments offered at Erlanger Heart and Lung Institute
or to make an appointment, visit Erlanger.org/heart.
(Adapted from a September 16, 2020 article posted to the online news publication www.chattanoogan.com.)