Medical City Arlington is now offering the world's smallest pacemaker for cardiology patients. The Micra® pacemaker is a new type of heart device that provides patients with the most advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker. Medical City Arlington is the first hospital in southeast Tarrant County, including Arlington, Mansfield and Grand Prairie, to perform the first Micra procedure.

The Micra pacemaker specifically treats bradycardia - a condition characterized by a slow or irregular heart rhythm, usually fewer than 60 beats per minute. At this rate, the heart is unable to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body during normal activity or exercise, causing dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath or fainting spells. Pacemakers are the most common way to treat bradycardia to help restore the heart's normal rhythm and relieve symptoms by sending electrical impulses to the heart to increase the heart rate.

Comparable in size to a large vitamin, physicians at Medical City Arlington are now using the Micra pacemaker because, unlike traditional pacemakers, the device does not require cardiac wires or a surgical "pocket" under the skin to deliver a pacing therapy. Instead, the device is small enough to be delivered through a catheter and implanted directly into the heart - all while being cosmetically invisible. The Micra pacemaker is also designed to automatically adjust pacing therapy based on a patient's activity levels.

Aamir Amin, MD, electrophysiologist, became the first physician to perform the Micra procedure at Medical City Arlington.

"The Micra pacemaker redefines the patient's experience when compared to traditional pacemakers," said Dr. Amin. "Micra is more comfortable, does not leave a chest scar or bump, and does not interfere with the patient's ability to perform physical activities."

For more information about heart and vascular services at Medical City Arlington, visithttp://medicalcityarlington.com/service/heart-and-vascular-services.