Dr. Robert Drennan, electrophysiologist at Cardiovascular Institute of the South, is the first in south Louisiana to implant the Confirm Rx™ Insertable Cardiac Monitor, the world’s first implantable cardiac monitor with Bluetooth wireless technology. Dr. Drennan first implanted the device on Dec. 12 during a minimally-invasive procedure in the electrophysiology lab at Baton Rouge General Medical Center.
The Confirm Rx™ cardiac monitor is the first and only system of its kind used to monitor patients who experience unexplained symptoms such as dizziness, chest pain, and shortness of breath, as well as to diagnose and evaluate conditions such as arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation. Its Bluetooth technology allows for remote monitoring via a patient’s smartphone and eliminates the need for a traditional radio-frequency (RF) based bedside transmitter, which can be intrusive and cumbersome, and which limits mobility. Through the myMerlin™ smartphone app, patients are informed of successful device checks and clinic-scheduled transmissions without interrupting their daily lives.
“This technology not only cuts down the number of visits arrhythmia patients have to make to their doctors, but it also helps us diagnosis and treat more quickly,” said Dr. Drennan. “Being able to monitor heart activity in real time means getting patients back to regular life much faster.”
For more information about CIS, call (800) 425-2565 or visit www.cardio.com.