Surgeon Implants New Heart Monitoring System in Botsford Hospital Patient

Botsford Hospital and cardiologist Robert Grodman, D.O., the principal investigator of the ALERTS Pivotal Study at Botsford, have announced their first implant of the AngelMed Guardian Cardiac Monitor and Alert System.

The AngelMed Guardian System is comprised of an internal implantable device about the size of a standard pacemaker with a lead into the heart, an external telemetry device, and a programmer that aids physicians in evaluating heart signals. It is designed to reduce the time it takes patients to get to the emergency room during an impending heart attack.

Majid Qazi, D.O., performed this implant in the Farmington Hills hospital and is among the very first physicians across the United States to implant the experimental device. 

The AngelMed Guardian System is designed to track significant changes in the heart's electrical signal and then alert patients to seek medical attention. The objective of the ALERTS Pivotal Study is to provide an assessment of the safety and effectiveness of the AngelMed Guardian System. 
 
Robert Gabler of Applegate, MI, is among the first patients in Michigan enrolled in the ALERTS Study to receive the AngelMed Guardian System. He suffers from unstable angina and has had previous myocardial infarctions. His most recent event was last December. Gabler is also diabetic and has a high TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) score. He was worried about future cardiac events and believed this device would be a great fit for him.

Gabler was successfully implanted with the device on Feb. 12 by Dr. Qazi at Botsford Hospital. 
 
"This study provides an excellent opportunity for some of our patients who are at high-risk of having another heart attack," Grodman said. "The device is designed to measure changes in the electrical signal of the heart and alert the patient at the earliest onset of a heart attack so that he or she can get treatment as soon as possible."  
 
According to the American Heart Association, one of every five deaths in the US is attributable to coronary heart disease. Further, 50 percent of heart-attack fatalities occur within one hour of symptom onset and occur before the patient even reaches the hospital.  
 
Source: Botsford Hospital press release