Edinburg, TX—Doctors Hospital at Renaissance is the first hospital in the Upper Rio Grande Valley to implant the Boston Scientific EMBLEM™ Subcutaneous Implantable Defibrillator (S-ICD) System for the treatment of patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest. The chances of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest decrease by 7-10 percent with every minute that passes without a lifesaving shock from a defibrillator. Dr. Hilary Almeida is the first cardiologist to implant the EMBLEM™ S-ICD System in Hidalgo County. For patients, this means a better chance of surviving a heart attack.
“What makes this device so unique and innovative, is the lack of wires inserted into the body,” states Dr. Almeida. “The device does not have any wires inserted into major blood vessels, which is good for individuals whose blood vessels may not be accessible, or are prone to recurrent infection.” Almeida continues, “As a result, this makes the implant less harmful than some of the more traditional methods that require insertion in the veins.”
The ICD technology most commonly used, transvenous ICD, requires wires to be inserted into the heart in order to regain a normal heart beat in the case of cardiac arrest. The subcutaneous implantable defibrillator will be able to regulate an individual’s heart beat with a single wire that lays under the skin, no wires touch the heart.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a serious, life-threatening condition that happens abruptly and without warning. During a sudden cardiac attack, the heart’s electrical system malfunctions, and it is no longer able to pump blood to the rest of the body. The lack of blood to the brain causes the person to lose consciousness quickly. If the person does not receive immediate treatment with defibrillation, brain damage and death can occur. i
“In the near future I think this procedure will become the more standard option, one that will be my first choice when treating patients who are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest, and keep more traditional methods for those with more complex cases,” states Dr. Alemida.
The EMBLEM™ S-ICD System is an implanted device that can sense irregular heartbeats and deliver strong electrical shocks to the heart to restore a normal heart beat. The S-ICD system sits just below the skin with no wires placed into the heart itself, which may result in a less invasive treatment that avoids potentially serious complications. The procedure performed by Dr. Hilary Almeida generally takes about one hour to complete. It provides patients with a smaller and thinner device that is projected to last 40 percent longer than previous versions, and is enabled for remote patient management. For more information, please visit http://www.bostonscientific.com/en-US/products/defibrillators/emblem-s-icd-system/device-overview.html
About Dr. Hilary Almeida
Dr. Almeida obtained his medical degree from the University of Bombay, in Mumbai, India. He completed residency training in internal medicine at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California. Dr. Almeida completed a cardiology fellowship at UCLA-San Fernando, Los Angeles, California and an additional fellowship in Electrophysiology and Pacing at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. He has extensive medical expertise in electrophysiology study, radiofrequency catheter ablation, transeptal procedures and much more. Dr. Almeida is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology.
