The Cooper Heart Institute now offers the world’s first and only totally subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillator, the S-ICD® System, for eligible patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.
The S-ICD System utilizes a pulse generator capable of delivering life-saving, high-energy shocks to convert V T/ VF. Unlike transvenous ICDs, however, the S-ICD System is implanted in the lateral thoracic region of the body and utilizes a subcutaneous electrode instead of transvenous leads to both sense and deliver therapy.
“The S-ICD System introduces a novel class of implantable defibrillators that enables us to offer new solutions to our patients and better balance risk with therapeutic benefit,” explains Andrea M. Russo, MD, Director of Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia Services at Cooper. Dr. Russo was a lead investigator on the study that led to the recent FDA approval of the S-ICD, which was granted in September 2012. Cooper is currently one of only 25 hospitals in the U.S. offering S-ICD, and Dr. Russo is involved in training of other physicians for implantation of this new device.
The benefits of the S-ICD System include:
- Effective defibrillation therapy without transvenous leads
- Elimination of vascular surgery potential
- Reduction of systemic infection potential
- Preservation of Venus Access
- Reduction of radiation exposure for both patient and physician
The S-ICD System has been commercially available in Europe and New Zealand since 20 09 and has clinical evidence from a large patient registry in Europe and the U.S. clinical study demonstrating:
- Effective detection and conversion of induced and spontaneous V T/ VF episodes
- Low rates of significant clinical complications
- Effective discrimination of AF and SV T from V T/ VF
- Rate of inappropriate therapy consistent with transvenous ICDs