Aveir Leadless Pacemaker: Novel Technology With New Anesthetic Implications

The Aveir VR Leadless Pacemaker (Abbott, Chicago, IL) recently was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and joined the Micra (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) transcatheter pacing system in the realm of nontransvenous cardiovascular implantable devices. The Aveir VR offers design improvements over its predecessor, the Nanostim (St. Jude Medical). There are recommendations for the perioperative management of conventional transvenous pacemakers, but leadless pacemakers add a new layer of consideration. Although there have been prior documented experiences with the Micra device, there are enough differences between the Aveir VR and the Micra that it is important to understand what makes the Aveir VR unique if an anesthesiologist were to come across one preoperatively.