Like the speedy drum-beating pink rabbit on television commercials, the electronic device Dr. Roberto Robles implants on his heart patients just keeps going and going and going. The federal Food and Drug Administration on Jan. 29 approved the use of the miniature pacemaker. Robles became the first surgeon in the Rio Grande Valley to install the device. His first operation took place last week at Valley Regional Medical Center. His patient was a Brownsville resident, Estella Flores.
Old pacemakers are much bulkier.
They were so large they had to sometimes be implanted in the abdomen, thus causing some discomfort to the patient. While the manufacturer of the Kappa 700 guarantees the battery powering the device to last five years, some doctors are confident it could last between 10-12 years. Older pacemakers average a five-year battery life, Robles said. Previous pacemakers required doctors to manually make the changes. By eliminating this step, the device keeps patients out of the hospital and frees up time for their doctor, as well.