September 29, 2023
A good beat
The first of two new treatments at Bay Medical Center-Sacred Heart: 1. Cryoablation, a small balloon full of liquid nitrogen freezes tissue in the heart’s upper chambers
A good beat
2. Micra, the world’s smallest pacemaker

Economic Backbone - Cardiac Care

Bay Medical Center-Sacred Heart introduces two new methods for treating an irregular heart beat

Carlton Proctor | 1/27/2020

Bay Medical Center-Sacred Heart is giving Northwest Florida cardiac patients new ways to treat common heart conditions. Cryoablation and, separately, the insertion in the heart of a tiny wireless pacemaker called Micra were introduced to the Panama City hospital last year by Dr. Nghia Hoang, a cardiac electrophysiologist who recently moved to Panama City from Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania.

Cryoablation is a minimally invasive catheter approach that uses a small balloon full of liquid nitrogen to freeze tissue in the heart’s upper chambers to block electrical signals that trigger erratic heart rhythms.

“We create a controlled scar so the atrial fibrillation cannot spread out freely to the rest of the heart,” says Hoang. Atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke, heart attack or heart failure.

Hoang also is board certified to perform surgery that involves insertion of the Micra pacemaker, a wireless device about the size of a large vitamin capsule, making it the world’s smallest pacemaker.

“Unlike pacemakers that are placed in the chest with leads running to the heart, the Micra is implanted directly into the heart through a vein in the leg — no leads needed,” says Hoang.

The device is used for patients who have a standard heart rhythm that is slower than the typical 60 beats per minute, a condition known as bradycardia.

“With Micra there are no chest incisions or scarring, so patients often have quicker recoveries and fewer complications compared to implanting more traditional pacemakers,” he adds.

Read more in Florida Trend's February issue.

Select from the following options:

EXISTING
DIGITAL
SUBSCRIBERS

Access Article Now!

DIGITAL
SINGLE
ISSUE

Get a single DIGITAL copy of this issue

$4.95

PRINT
SINGLE
ISSUE

Get a single PRINT copy of this issue

$4.95
plus $3 postage & handling

PRINT SUBSCRIPTION

One year in PRINT

$14.98*
plus a FREE gift!

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

One year DIGITAL

$14.98*
plus a FREE gift!

ALL ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION

One year Combo
PRINT + DIGITAL

$24.95*
plus a FREE gift!


CURRENT  PRINT  SUBSCRIBERS

If you are already a print subscriber,
ADD DIGITAL EDITION ACCESS
to your existing subscription here!
(or call our office at 727-892-2643)

* offer valid for new subscribers only

Tags: Healthcare, Life Sciences, Economic Backbone, Cardiac Care, Feature

Florida Business News

  • Florida’s population boom drives bigger hurricane losses, despite tougher building codes

    Florida leads the nation in strict building codes, and the decades of hard work have paid off in the increasing number of homes and buildings that survive each time a hurricane slashes the state. But all those hard-won gains have been undermined by the explosion of growth along the coast.

  • Business BeatBusiness Beat - Week of September 29th

    Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.

  • Enterprise Florida exiting

    The doors are ready to close on Enterprise Florida, the business-recruitment agency long targeted by state House leaders.

  • Seeking protection

    Three activist groups served notice to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that they intend to sue to force the agency to invoke Endangered Species Act protection for the ghost orchid.

  • State jobless claims decrease

    An estimated 5,155 first-time jobless claims were filed in Florida last week, a decrease from the previous week and below the average for the year.

Florida News Releases

Florida Trend Video Pick

Radioactive roads? Florida has yet to submit application to EPA to start testing
Radioactive roads? Florida has yet to submit application to EPA to start testing

It appears no steps have been taken to begin testing whether slightly radioactive waste from fertilizer production can be repurposed for Florida road construction projects.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

Ballot Box

Do you believe that home values in Florida have finally peaked?

  • Absolutely!
  • No way!
  • The jury's still out...
  • Other (Let us know in the comment section below)

See Results

Florida Trend Media Company
490 1st Ave S
St Petersburg, FL 33701
727.821.5800

© Copyright 2023 Trend Magazines Inc. All rights reserved.