KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For 15-year-old Brandon Chavez, the last few years have been tough. When he was 13, he found out he had a heart block.
Chavez already has a pacemaker. Now, he’s finally getting ready for a life-changing upgrade.
He’ll be one of the first in the country to have a Micra AV pacemaker. He’s also the youngest. It’s the smallest pacemaker in the world, about the size of a vitamin.
“I’m pretty excited because, you know, I’m one of the first people. I can keep that close. For the rest of my life,” Chavez said.
The Micra AV is the first pacemaker with zero lead. Doctors at St. Luke’s will insert it through Chavez’s groin and attach it to his heart — making the recovery painless, unlike the old procedure.
“It took, like, two hours, and you wake up with extreme pain because it’s like a new piece of metal in you,” Chavez said.
Chavez’s doctor, Sanjaya Gupta, said the metal from the pacemaker was contributing to his constant infections. This shouldn’t be a problem with the new device.
“This new technology came, and we were able to receive the signal from the top part of the heart and then pace the bottom. So, it will coordinate the top and bottom. Which is exactly what he needs,” Dr. Gupta said.
Chavez’s mother said she is hopeful about this new pacemaker.
“When they told the new technology, the new pacemaker, I just feel grateful,” Christina Escalante said.
Chavez will undergo his procedure on Friday.