The first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker implant has been performed at Mater Dei Hospital, marking the introduction of a newer form of cardiac technology that allows patients to receive pacing without conventional leads or a pacemaker pocket under the skin, the government said Friday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ian Borg visited the hospital this week to meet the multidisciplinary cardiac team behind the procedure and congratulate the Cardiology Department on the milestone.

Dual-chamber leadless pacemakers are almost a tenth of the size of conventional pacemakers and are implanted directly inside the heart. The technology, which entered clinical trials in 2022, is being adopted in a number of countries for patients with certain conditions that may make traditional pacemakers less suitable.

Unlike conventional pacemakers, which are placed beneath the skin and connected to the heart through leads passing through the veins, leadless pacemakers are positioned directly inside the heart.

Dr Andrew Cassar Maempel, Chairman of the Cardiology Department and Consultant Cardiologist at Mater Dei Hospital, said the technology can be particularly useful for selected patients who have previously experienced cardiac device infections, face an increased risk of infection, or have blocked or difficult access to the veins in the upper limbs.

The dual-chamber system uses two miniature devices, one positioned in the right atrium and another in the right ventricle. The devices communicate with each other to provide coordinated pacing of both chambers of the heart.

The introduction of the technology builds on Mater Dei Hospital's leadless pacing programme, which was established in 2023 with the introduction of single-chamber leadless pacing.

Borg thanked the multidisciplinary team involved in the procedure, including cardiologists, nurses, cardiac physiologists, radiographers and staff from the Cath Lab and Cardiology teams.

"I wish to thank Mater Dei Hospital and its staff, for working together to keep Malta at the forefront of cardiac care," Borg said.

He said the government's priority was to continue supporting opportunities to provide patients with the latest medical tools and technology.

"Ultimately, advances in medicine matter most when they can truly improve the wellbeing and quality of life for our patients," he said.

The latest development forms part of the continued expansion of advanced cardiovascular care at Mater Dei Hospital.

The hospital's cardiac services also include conduction system pacing and subcutaneous defibrillator therapy, as well as developments in electrophysiology and arrhythmia ablation, structural heart interventions and coronary interventions.