{"id":47378,"date":"2026-03-02T06:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T05:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/?p=47378"},"modified":"2026-02-27T16:28:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T15:28:21","slug":"the-latest-therapy-for-cardiac-arrhythmia-was-introduced-in-pecs-with-the-help-of-semmelweis-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/2026\/03\/the-latest-therapy-for-cardiac-arrhythmia-was-introduced-in-pecs-with-the-help-of-semmelweis-university\/","title":{"rendered":"The latest therapy for cardiac arrhythmia was introduced in P\u00e9cs with the help of Semmelweis University"},"content":{"rendered":"
Under the professional guidance of Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University and Director of the V\u00e1rosmajor Heart and Vascular Center, the first two EV-ICD (extravascular implantable cardioverter defibrillator) therapies were performed at the Heart Institute of the University of P\u00e9cs. In October 2023, the V\u00e1rosmajor Heart and Vascular Center was one of the first in the world to use this device, which is currently considered the most innovative and significantly reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death. Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely\u2019s goal is to make this new type of implantable defibrillator available throughout Hungary to patients for whom it would be the most effective means of treating dangerous cardiac arrhythmia.<\/div>\n

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The first implantation of a new type of extravascular cardioverter defibrillator (EV-ICD) placed between the sternum and the heart was performed in October 2023 at Semmelweis University\u2019s V\u00e1rosmajor Heart and Vascular Center<\/a>. At that time, this was considered a pioneering procedure not only at the national and regional level, but also throughout the entire CEMA region (Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa). The V\u00e1rosmajor Heart and Vascular Center, as well as its Director Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, played a significant role in the development of the new type of implantable defibrillator and the related international clinical trials. The method offers a new option for patients suffering from severe cardiac arrhythmia, in addition to existing therapies.<\/p>\n

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Semmelweis University\u2019s V\u00e1rosmajor Heart and Vascular Center is one of the three centers in the world with the most experience in innovative EV-ICD therapy. It is our important mission to share the knowledge we have gained so far and to establish this procedure in all major cardiac surgery, cardiology, and pacemaker centers in Hungary so that it is available to patients in need throughout the country. – Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As part of this process, under the professional guidance of Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely, the first two EV-ICD implantations were successfully performed in P\u00e9cs on a 62-year-old and a 63-year-old patient, observed by numerous interested local students, residents, and consultant surgeons.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dr. Attila K\u00f3nyi, Associate Professor at the Heart Institute of the University of P\u00e9cs, emphasized that as head of the pacemaker working group, he considered it a priority to make the best and most modern therapies available to their patients, so he was very pleased that pacemaker care had been complemented with this innovative method. \u201cIt is an honor that Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely, who introduced this procedure in Hungary, personally shared his expertise and was present during the first procedures,\u201d he said. \u201cA major advantage of the new technique is that the device can eliminate arrhythmias without causing pain to the patient, who is hardly even aware of the rapid stimulation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The EV-ICD is a special implantable defibrillator whose sensors and shock-delivering electrodes are not located in the usual place, the heart, but between the heart and the sternum. \u201cFrom an interventional point of view, the surgery \u2018makes your heart throb\u2019 because it requires very clear anatomical knowledge and extremely precise placement,\u201d explained Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely.<\/p>\n

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The device is designed to detect cardiac malfunction and, if necessary, deliver an electric shock with an average energy of 30 joules to eliminate the arrhythmia.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is important that all patients receive the most appropriate of the (with the new solution) three technologies currently available, the one that can be implanted with the fewest complications and the greatest efficiency, providing the most long-term solution,\u201d pointed out Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The EV-ICD is the best option for those to whom a traditional ICD implanted in the heart may pose a risk due to infection. The new device requires less energy to eliminate life-threatening arrhythmia, and if it needs to be replaced at a later date, this is easier to do than with a defibrillator implanted in the heart.<\/p>\n

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What types of implantable resuscitation devices are available for patients with cardiac arrhythmia?<\/h6>\n

In Hungary, thousands of resuscitation devices, or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), are implanted every year. They are life-saving devices that help maintain heart function in the event of serious cardiac arrhythmia. The three types of ICDs are:<\/p>\n

Traditional, transvenous ICD<\/strong>: The electrodes of the device reach the heart directly through the veins. It is suitable for continuous monitoring and defibrillation, and it also has a pacemaker function, i.e. it corrects heart rhythm, if necessary.<\/p>\n

Subcutaneous ICD<\/strong>: This is a cardioverter defibrillator that can be implanted under the skin, placed under the chest skin without touching the heart, with a defibrillation function but without a pacemaker function.<\/p>\n

EV-ICD<\/strong>: It combines the advantages of the other two devices. It is an extravascular implantable cardioverter defibrillator that, in addition to its defibrillation function, is capable of steering abnormal cardiac activity toward a normal rhythm in the event of cardiac arrhythmia with a series of small electrical impulses, similarly to conventional ICDs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Dr. Attila Czir\u00e1ki, Director of the Heart Institute at the University of P\u00e9cs, highlighted the importance of innovation in university clinics.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe two most important things about a new life-saving device are that it is used on the right patients and in the right way. It is a great honor for us to have learned this new method first-hand from one of the three best institutes in the world in this field; we owe our thanks to Professor B\u00e9la Merkely for this,\u201d the director noted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cEV-ICD therapy can now be used not only in patient care but also in university education in P\u00e9cs as well,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

P\u00e1lma Dobozi
\nTranslation: Dr. Bal\u00e1zs Csizmadia
\nPhotos by the Directorate General of Marketing and Communication, Semmelweis University<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The university\u2019s goal is to make this new type of implantable defibrillator available nationwide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102369,"featured_media":47381,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[129,286],"tags":[215,116],"class_list":["post-47378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-x-nyitolap","tag-healing","tag-innovation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102369"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47378"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47384,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47378\/revisions\/47384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}