News Lurie Children’s Completes First Leadless Dual-Chamber Pacemaker Implant in Patient With Congenital Heart Disease
Lurie Children’s Completes First Leadless Dual-Chamber Pacemaker Implant in Patient With Congenital Heart Disease
A leadless pacemaker—shown here next to a penny—demonstrates how advanced cardiac technology can deliver powerful results in an incredibly compact form.
The Electrophysiology (EP) team at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, led by Sami Chaouki, MD, PhD, in November 2025 achieved a major milestone with the institution’s first implantation of a completely leadless dual-chamber pacemaker in a patient with a repaired atrioventricular septal defect and intermittent heart block.
Traditional pacemakers rely on a subcutaneous generator connected to the heart via transvenous leads, an approach that can be particularly challenging in younger patients who face decades of device management, risk of lead failure, infection, venous obstruction and repeated generator replacements.
The dual-component leadless system used in this case offers a fundamentally different strategy: two miniature devices implanted directly in the right atrium and right ventricle communicate wirelessly to maintain AV-synchronous pacing without any transvenous hardware. The system is expected to provide over 10 years of battery life.
The procedure exemplified multidisciplinary coordination, incorporating expertise from cardiac anesthesia, TEE imaging and interventional catheterization. The patient’s congenital anatomy and young age required careful planning and collaboration to ensure safe implantation.
While leadless pacing is not appropriate for all indications, this case represents an important step forward in expanding pacing options for selected pediatric and congenital patients. It reflects both the technical capability and the commitment to advancing innovative care at Lurie Children’s Heart Center.
