查看文章

Implantable cardiac pacemakers have been employed for the treatment of various arrhythmias beginning in the 1950s. Throughout the years, developments in microfabrication technologies, as well as advances in surgical procedures and the understanding of electrophysiology, have brought forth next-generation cardiac pacemakers. These are much smaller, capable of feedback regulation, and endowed with longerlived batteries, which decrease the need for frequent surgery and battery replacement (1). In addition, the advent of antiinflammatory drug-eluting leads has significantly reduced the risk of inflammation and rejection after cardiac pacemaker implantation. However, these devices do not completely eliminate the immune response (2) and still require battery replacements every several years. Furthermore, implantation of foreign bodies on the heart still poses the risk of fouling in the chest cavity, with …