On September 6, 2024, global healthcare company Abbott began rolling out its AVEIR dual chamber (DR) leadless pacemaker system across the UK,  what it says is the world’s first dual chamber leadless pacing system, which treats people with abnormal or slow heart rhythms. 

The company says that more than 2 million people in the UK currently live with arrhythmias or heart rhythm problems and nearly 80% of people who receive a pacemaker require a dual chamber option. Abbott’s latest AVEIR DR system is set to revolutionise patient care by offering beat-to-beat communication between the two leadless pacemakers in both chambers of the heart. 

Unlike traditional pacemakers, leadless devices like AVEIR DR are implanted directly into the heart through a minimally invasive procedure, eliminating the need for cardiac leads. This reduces patients’ exposure to potential lead and pocket-related complications, offering a less restrictive and shorter recovery period post-implantation.

Both the atrial and ventricular components of AVEIR DR leadless pacemakers are roughly one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker and communicate with each other using Abbott’s proprietary implant-to-implant (i2i) technology, to establish continuous, synchronised pacing between the right atrium and the right ventricle.