A program to refurbish used pacemakers has shown promising results, with patients who received refurbished devices faring just as well as those who received new ones. This approach could expand access to lifesaving technology, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the availability of pacemakers is limited.
The Used Devices Could Expand Access to the Lifesaving Technology
Pacemakers are tiny, battery-powered devices that are typically implanted in the chest to treat people with abnormal heartbeats. Electrical signals traveling down wires from the device kick the heart into a steady rhythm.
According to cardiac electrophysiologist Miguel Leal, thousands of pacemakers are inserted every year in the United States. However, the availability of these devices is not equal among patients worldwide. In some countries, only a few people per million receive pacemakers annually.
A program to refurbish used pacemakers could expand access to this lifesaving technology. A clinical trial involving nearly 300 people found that patients who received refurbished pacemakers fared just as well as those who received new ones. The study was presented at the annual American Heart Association meeting in November 2024.
The goal of the program is to make pacemakers available to people who could not otherwise afford them, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Cardiac electrophysiologist Thomas Crawford sees two potential solutions: designing low-cost pacemakers with basic functions or reusing old devices. His team at the University of Michigan Medical School is currently trying the latter approach.
After sterilizing and testing used pacemakers, doctors can reuse them in patients who cannot afford a new device. This approach could potentially deliver pacemakers to patients in low- and middle-income countries free of charge.
A program to refurbish used pacemakers could expand access to the lifesaving devices. In a clinical trial of nearly 300 people, patients who received refurbished pacemakers fared just as well as those who received new ones, scientists reported November 17 at the annual American Heart Association meeting.
The work could make pacemakers available to people who could not otherwise afford them. Cardiac electrophysiologist Thomas Crawford said in a news briefing that the hope is to scale up the team’s operation and “deliver pacemakers to patients in low- and middle-income countries free of charge.”
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- sciencenews.org | Refurbished heart pacemakers work like new
- strategian.com | Refurbished heart pacemakers work like new CuratedSci
