Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 2, 2018

We come to you Kootenai Heart Clinics Northwest providers travel to several satellite clinics throughout the region. To learn about the services and locations available, call (208) 625-5250 or (509) 847-2500 or visit KH.org/hcnw . Marion Cox, shown here with her family and her dog inMoscow, was one of the first patients to receive theMicra pacemaker in northern Idaho. pacemaker is a smaller, less invasive treatment for those in need of a ventricular (or single chamber) pacemaker. “The Micra implant is unique in that it’s small—about the size of a paperclip—and is implanted inside of the lower right chamber of the heart,” said Michele Murphy, M.D., Kootenai Heart Clinics Northwest. “It’s an all-in-one device that requires no extra hardware; no visible or physical reminder of a medical device.” Pacemakers have been used for many years to treat patients who suffer from a slow heartbeat. An irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, can be caused by a variety of heart diseases or complications. In atrial fibrillation, the heartbeat can be both irregular and fast, which often causes symptoms. Patients now have the option to have an ablation to correct the fast heartbeat and have a pacemaker implanted. ‘Iwas tiredall the time’ After surviving a heart attack in 2013, Marion Cox, from Moscow, Idaho, began experiencing extreme fatigue, weakness, a lack of energy and shortness of breath. “My heart rate seemed to be all over the place, and no medications seemed to help control it,” Marion said. “I was so weak I stopped going to get coffee with my friends—and started to just withdraw because I was tired all the time.” Marion’s cardiologist referred her to Dr. Murphy to determine if she would be a good candidate for a pacemaker. “We were actually relieved when Dr. Murphy said Mom could benefit from a pacemaker,” Katy Stowle, Marion’s daughter, said. “I don’t think my mom was aware of how sick she really was. She’s very independent, lives on her own and is a wonderful gardener. We wanted to see her get back to that quality of life.” Feelinggoodagain The Micra pacemaker is implanted into the heart through a vein in the leg and, unlike traditional pacemakers, does not require a lead or external battery implanted under the skin. Because there is no visible or external sign of the device, the Micra implant allows for a quick recovery time and less movement restrictions. “Traditional pacemakers have an external lead and a battery implanted under the skin near the shoulder, which can limit shoulder movement,” Dr. Murphy said. “But because the device is leadless and transmits information via Bluetooth, that element is eliminated.” This increase in movement is good news for Marion, as she looks forward to traveling to visit family, gardening and maybe even getting back to rafting. “I started to feel better the next day,” she said. “Now that I’m doing cardiac rehabilitation, I can now see how weak I really was. I’m very excited to go visit my other kids and my grandkids soon, since traveling wasn’t possible for a while. I love swimming and am hoping to get back to rafting again soon as well.” As part of Marion’s follow-up care, Katy helps her transmit her health data from the device on scheduled dates via an app on her phone. This information is collected by Dr. Murphy’s team and reviewed with Marion over the phone. “This gives us the ability to check up on Marion without her having to travel to Coeur d’Alene,” said Dr. Murphy. “We still get to have this important relationship with our patients without the inconvenience to them and their families.” “I’m so grateful for the wonderful care I received during this process,” Marion said. “When you start to feel better after feeling so scared and helpless for so long, it’s eye-opening and wonderful. It’s good to feel good again.” KH . ORG 13