Heart patient has implantable defibrillator fitted

A heart patient has become one of the first in the UK to have an implantable defibrillator fitted that is designed to prevent sudden cardiac arrest.

Bradley Ferguson has had the Extravascular Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (EV-ICD) fitted. It monitors a patient's heartbeat and delivers small electrical signals if it picks up abnormal rhythms.

Ferguson, 31 and from Cannock, underwent the surgery at the Heart and Lung Centre at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, in October because he has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart muscle wall becomes thickened.

"The new device has given me real peace of mind - I feel much less anxious," Ferguson said.

He was diagnosed with the condition aged just 19 and was an avid footballer at the time, but over the years his symptoms worsened.

"I began experiencing palpitations eight to ten times a day and became increasingly anxious about the risk of sudden cardiac arrest," Ferguson said.

"My latest tests showed ventricular tachycardia and Dr Petkar told me about this new type of defibrillator. It felt like a no-brainer, so I signed up straight away."

The centre is operated by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

Dr Sanjiv Petkar, consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist at the centre, said: "The EV-ICD offers the same pacing and shock therapies as traditional ICDs, but avoids placing leads inside the heart or blood vessels, reducing the risk of vascular injury.

"It's an exciting advancement that we're proud to offer our patients here at the heart and lung centre."

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