AUSTIN, Texas, March 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On Feb. 27, 2014, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David's Medical Center was among the first in the United States to implant the Medtronic Reveal LINQ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) System in a patient. The Reveal LINQ ICM is the smallest implantable cardiac monitoring device available. The procedure was performed by Andrea Natale, M.D., F.H.R.S., F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., cardiac electrophysiologist and executive medical director of TCAI.
The Reveal LINQ ICM is approximately one-third the size of a AAA battery, making it more than 80 percent smaller than other ICMs. While significantly smaller, the device is part of a powerful system that allows physicians to continuously and wirelessly monitor a patient's heart for up to three years, with 20 percent more data memory than its larger predecessor, Reveal® XT.
"Every day, new technologies are paving the way for better outcomes and improved quality of life for cardiac patients," Dr. Natale said. "This new implantable device will not only allow us to more effectively monitor a patient's heart, but it will also improve the patient's experience. It can be worn for several years, and it goes virtually unnoticed."
In addition to its continuous and wireless monitoring capabilities, the system provides remote monitoring through the Carelink® Network. The Carelink Network allows physicians to request notifications that alert them if their patients have cardiac events. The Reveal LINQ ICM is designed for patients who experience symptoms such as dizziness, palpitation, syncope (fainting) and chest pain that may suggest a cardiac arrhythmia, as well as patients who are at an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias.
Placed just beneath the skin through a small incision of less than a centimeter in the upper-left side of the chest, the Reveal LINQ ICM is nearly invisible to the naked eye once inserted. The device is placed using a minimally invasive insertion procedure, which simplifies the experience for both physicians and their patients. The Reveal LINQ ICM is MR-Conditional, allowing patients to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) if needed.
The Reveal LINQ system also includes the new MyCareLink' Patient Monitor, a simplified remote monitoring system with global cellular technology that transmits patients' cardiac device diagnostic data to their clinicians from almost any location in the world.
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David's Medical Center is one of the world's preeminent centers dedicated to the latest treatment advances for correcting abnormal heart rhythms such as Atrial Fibrillation (A Fib). The center is led by Executive Medical Director Andrea Natale, M.D., a world-renowned expert in the field. Natale is at the forefront of advancing treatment for A Fib, leading numerous clinical trials and participating in the development of new technologies and procedures. For more information, please visit TCAInstitute.com.
Media Contacts:
Erin Ochoa or Kristin Marcum
Elizabeth Christian & Associates Public Relations
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SOURCE Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David-s Medical Center
