CALGARY – A team of experts from a Calgary hospital have completed a task they say is a first in western Canada.
Specialists at the Foothills Medical Centre have implanted a special defibrillator in a patient, that will still allow him to undergo an MRI.
Implantable defibrillators are placed under the skin to correct life-threatening, irregular heart rhythms. However, MRI scanners cause traditional defibrillators to malfunction, meaning thousands of Albertans cannot use the diagnostic tool.
“Every year, about 800 Albertans require an implantable defibrillator due to electrical problems in their heart,” says cardiac elecrophysiologist Dr. Vikas Kuriachan. “This new device will allow patients with defibrillators to have MRI scans and improve the level of care we can offer them.”
MRI’s are necessary for diagnosing a range of conditions, including back and joint problems, strokes, and certain cancers.
The Foothills hospital is one of 55 sites participating in a two-year international study using the new MRI-compatible implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, called the MRI-ICD.
Only one other hospital participating in the study is in Canada.
The implant procedure for an MRI-ICD is very similar to a traditional ICD implant. The device is placed under the skin, near the collarbone, and with the guidance of X-rays, wires are placed into blood vessels going into the heart. The entire procedure takes between one and two hours.
Brian McComb became the second patient in Canada, and first in the West, to receive the MRI-ICD after discovering he suffered from congestive heart failure.
The 78-year-old Calgary man says he’s excited to be on the leading edge of medical technology.
“After the procedure, I was up and walking within 24 hours. Now I want to focus on spending time with my grandkids,” says McComb. “If my heart stops, it gives me a lot of peace of mind to know I have the MRI-ICD in my chest.”
Comments