Saint Francis Hospital Becomes First Hospital in Connecticut to Treat Pacemaker Infection with AlphaVac System

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Cardiovascular experts at Saint Francis Hospital recently became the first in Connecticut to care for patients with pacemaker infections using the AlphaVac System. Interventional Cardiologists and Electrophysiologists, part of Trinity Health Of New England’s Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute, teamed up to treat an infection localized on the leads of a pacemaker using the AlphaVac System, a suction catheter typically used to remove pulmonary embolisms, blood clots, or other masses in the heart. Their innovative approach to addressing such infections resulted in treating the infection while reducing the risk of further complications for the patient,

Pacemaker leads are insulated wires that are connected to the device on one end, with the other end placed inside one of the heart’s chambers. These leads allow the device to increase the heart rate by delivering small bursts of electric energy. In some instances, although rare, an infection can occur, resulting in the need to remove the leads. The Saint Francis team utilized the AlphaVac to remove infection growth from the pacemaker leads prior to removing them, eliminating the risk the infection traveling to another part of the body.

“While we have used the AlphaVac System to treat clots and pulmonary embolisms, this was the first time the device was used to remove vegetation, or infection, on pacemaker leads,” said Haseeb Qazi, M.D., Interventional Cardiologist at Saint Francis. “This lowers risk of complications that can arise during lead removal due to an infection. We are proud that the teamwork between Interventional Cardiology and Electrophysiology is providing our patients with collaborative care which improves outcomes.”

For more information on the Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute at Saint Francis Hospital, please visit www.trinityhealthofne.org/heart.