Leadless pacemakers: Future of cardiac pacing

There is a steady growth in the number of people requiring pacemaker implantation globally. In India there is no convincing information on the rates of permanent pacemaker; but it is expected to rise exponentially with rising incidence of heart disease and decreasing mortality. Current day pacemakers are safe and mature; but there are complications, when enumerated are many. A recent change in the pacing technology is the introduction of leadless cardiac pacemakers (LCP). Although investigational, leadless technology is the future. They are designed in such a way to achieve the same pacing results and longevity, in addition to lesser complications compared to a traditional pacemaker. Though recent trials have demonstrated safety and clinical performance, further research is needed to understand their long term performance, and cost effectiveness.