Sheba Becomes First Clinic in Israel to be Authorized by Medtronic International to conduct MICRA Pacemaker Implant Training for Physicians

RAMAT GAN, Israel – June 23, 2022 – Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest medical center and a Newsweek top-10 ranked world’s best hospital for the last four years, announced today that it has been authorized by Medtronic International to provide training on MICRA pacemaker implants for experts in arrhythmia treatment. Sheba Medical Center has many years of experience in MICRA implants, which are performed at the Davidai Center or Rhythm Disturbances and Pacing at the Sheba Medical Center, managed by Prof. Roy Beinart. This week, the First training was held with the participation of seven doctors from several hospitals across Israel and led by Prof. Eyal Nof, Director of the Invasive Electrophysiology Service at Sheba Medical Center and a certified facilitator to conduct training on the subject.

“As a medical center ranked among the top of the best hospitals in the world, we have made it our mission to lead the education and training of medical teams,” said Prof. Roy Beinart. “This project, the result of a collaboration with Medtronic, is part of that commitment. We will continue to provide the best medicine to our patients, using leading technologies such as MICRA and other innovations.”

The MICRA is a tiny 2.5 cm rationing capsule, 93% smaller than a regular pacemaker, and implanted using a simple venous catheterization through the groin vein without leaving a scar on the chest. The system is implanted without additional devices in the body, unlike standard pacemakers which also require the implantation of electrodes that connect the heart compartments to the pacemaker.

The technology is currently intended for patients who, for technical or medical reasons, cannot undergo pacemaker implantation with electrodes (such as patients with venous obstruction). It is also suitable for patients with a high risk of infection from the implantation of a traditional pacemaker and without which they would be left without a medical response which may put them at high risk of significant complications. Over the past year, more than 150 patients have undergone MICRA transplantation in various indications.

Clinical studies published in recent years, which included thousands of patients who underwent a MICRA transplant, showed that for the vast majority of patients, the MICRA transplant was successful, the rate of infections was significantly lower, and the rate of complications was significantly lower than that of a standard pacemaker transplant a reduction of about 60% in the rate of complications). In light of the results of the above publications and the positive global experience gained in the treatment with MICRA, the European Cardiological Association (ESC) has recommended in its latest guidelines on pacemakers that MICRA should be implanted as an alternative to normal pacemakers in patients with appropriate indications.