Medtronic implants tiny pacemaker without using surgery

The device, called a Micra Transcatheter Pacing System, was inserted through the femoral vein via a catheter. It was attached to the heart wall and can be repositioned if needed, Minneapolis-based Medtronic said. And it marks the start of a competition for what could be a huge market for such devices. 

Pacemaker surgery typically requires a doctor to make an incision above a patient’s heart, dig a cavity into which they can implant the heartbeat-regulating device, and then connect the pulse generator to wires delivered through a vein near the collarbone. Such surgery could soon be completely unnecessary. Instead, doctors could employ miniaturized wireless pacemakers that can be delivered into the heart through a major vein in the thigh.