Harish Manyam, MD, is on a mission to improve the lives of people with heart problems. His recent accomplishment of implanting Tennessee's first atrial leadless pacemaker is a step toward that, marking a significant advancement in cardiac care and promising safer and more effective treatment for patients.

The leadless pacemaker, in combination with a novel subcutaneous defibrillator, forms a groundbreaking system that addresses potentially dangerous problems associated with traditional pacemakers and defibrillators.

"This is a great leap forward for the field," said Dr. Manyam, interim chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center's College of Medicine in Chattanooga and chief of Cardiology at Erlanger Health System. "We've always tried to do things in a way that can save patients' lives, but now we're thinking about ways to prevent complications for patients so they can live longer, healthier lives, which is really our mission at UT Health Science Center."

The new system was developed through an international study described in an article co-authored by Dr. Manyam and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

One primary issue with traditional pacemakers and defibrillators is infection, which forces the removal of the leads, or the insulated wires that deliver electrical impulses to the heart.

Read more at our UTHSC news site.