Dr. Kenigsberg Performed 1st Implantation Of The First Wireless Implantable Remote ECG Monitoring System In S. Florida

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 03 Nov 2008 - 9:00 PST

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Westside Regional Medical Center announces the implantation of the first wireless implantable electrocardiogram (ECG) Monitoring System in South Florida performed by Dr. David Kenigsberg, a Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologist on staff at Westside Regional Medical Center. Dr. Kenigsberg was previously an electrophysiology fellow at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and trained under Drs. Kenneth Ellenbogen and Mark Wood, two pioneers in the field of Invasive Electrophysiology and authors of the premier texts in the field of implantable devices and cardiac ablations.

The Sleuth Implantable ECG Monitoring System offers an accurate, efficient way to monitor a patient's heart rate and rhythm, and provide electrocardiogram data to physicians in a timely manner. With this remote wireless system the heart is monitored remotely, ECG data is recorded when events occur, data are sent automatically to a 24/7 monitoring center to be reviewed by certified cardiac technicians, and physicians, like Dr. Kenigsberg, will be notified of cardiac events quickly to enable fast diagnosis and deliver appropriate therapy. Cardiac arrhythmias, or disturbances in the beating of the heart, can be serious and are often the root cause of syncope - a medical term for fainting. Patients with syncope are vulnerable to falls, injuries and negative personal consequences such as suspension of driving privileges or limited employment opportunities. An accurate diagnosis is important for prompt and appropriate treatment.

"Implantation of this device is a major advancement in the field and provides electrophysiologists the ability to rapidly and accurately diagnose arrhythmias in patients with unexplained syncope," Kenigsberg says. "Knowing if the patient has an arrhythmia and what the arrhythmia is will allow us to offer prompt treatment and potentially prevent syncope, sudden cardiac death, strokes, heart attacks or other untoward events."

The Sleuth Implantable ECG Monitoring System, a thin medical device about the size of a 50-cent piece (or the size of the smallest pacemakers), is placed under the skin near the shoulder. The device continuously gathers ECG data, and then automatically and regularly forwards it to a monitoring center operated by Mednet Healthcare Technologies, Inc. There, certified cardiac technicians review the patient's ECG information and send reports of relevant cardiac event data to the physician. Significant advantages for patients and physicians stem from the fact that the Sleuth ECG System is totally wireless, and technicians at the Transoma Medical, Inc. monitoring center automatically receive patient data thereby allowing them to frequently review the information for irregularities instantaneously.

Dr. Kenigsberg states that "with this device we no longer have to wait for a patient to have a syncopal event and seek medical attention in the emergency room or for a routine three month follow up visit to determine what arrhythmias have occurred. This device allows us to be proactive."

About Cardiovascular Syncope

The risk of syncope increases with age and is becoming more common as the population ages. Syncope accounted for 3 percent of emergency room visits and 6 percent of hospital admissions in the United States in 2004. Syncope can be caused by a variety of conditions, including metabolic disorders, neurological conditions, emotional distress or cardiovascular conditions. Cardiovascular syncope can be especially challenging to diagnose because abnormal heart activity may be infrequent or not apparent to the patient. Conditions causing cardiovascular syncope include prior heart attack, heart failure, rhythm disturbances, obstructed blood flow and low blood pressure. For approximately one-third of all patients who faint, a cause cannot be identified with common tests such as echocardiograms and tilt-table tests. With unexplained syncope, many patients are forced to significantly modify their daily activities, e.g., stop driving or give up a job, thereby impacting quality of life.

Westside Regional Medical Center (WMRC) is a 224-bed facility celebrating over 30 years of caring for families and individuals in central Broward County.

Westside Regional Medical Center