Saint Francis Becomes First Hospital in Connecticut to Offer Patients New Pacemaker Technology

Saint Francis is the first hospital in Connecticut to offer patients the AVEIR DR, the world's first dual chamber leadless pacemaker system.

Moving the needle forward on innovation, Michael Malinics, M.D., cardiologist with Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group and the Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute, performed the first pacemaker procedures using the AVEIR™ DR, the world’s first dual chamber leadless pacemaker system. The completion of the procedures makes Saint Francis the first hospital in Connecticut – and among the first in the country – to offer patients this groundbreaking technology.

AVEIR DR, developed by Abbott, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2023, and provides patients with a minimally invasive option to treat the nearly 80 percent of people who require pacing in two chambers of the heart – both the right atrium and right ventricle. Unlike traditional pacemakers, AVEIR DR does not require insulated wires, or “leads,” that deliver electrical energy from the pacemaker to the heart. Leadless devices are implanted directly into the heart through a minimally invasive procedure and eliminate the need for these cardiac leads. As a result, leadless pacemakers reduce a patient’s exposure to potential lead and pocket-related complications and offer a less restrictive and shorter recovery period.

“We are thrilled to be among the first hospitals in the country to provide this groundbreaking technology,” said Neal Lippman, M.D., Chief of Arrhythmia Services. “Being able to offer this device revolutionizes care for our current patients and creates a significant opportunity to expand the number of people we can serve. It is estimated that millions of people across the U.S. require pacing in both chambers of the heart. At Trinity Health Of New England, we have an extensive network of cardiologists throughout the region, allowing us to provide state-of-the-art cardiac care close to home, vastly improving the lives of our patients.”

Roughly one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker, the AVEIR DR dual chamber leadless pacing system is made up of two devices – the AVEIR VR ventricular leadless pacemaker, which paces the right ventricle (VR) and the AVEIR AR atrial leadless pacemaker, which paces the right atrium (AR). Saint Francis has been offering patients the AVEIR VR leadless pacemaker since 2022. AVEIR leadless pacemakers are engineered to be retrieved should a patient’s therapy needs change or if they need a replacement device in the future.