ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Health and Wellness devider Aklan medical team pioneers first Implant of world's smallest pacemaker in Western Visayas

Aklan medical team pioneers first Implant of world's smallest pacemaker in Western Visayas

The medical achievement marks a landmark step in advanced heart care in Western Visayas.

By MBrand
Published Sep 5, 2025 12:49 pm
The team of doctors from the Asia Pacific Medical Center-Aklan, headed by Dr. Claire B. Perez (second from left) as the attending physician and Interventional cardiologist, Dr. Jastisse Arnaldo T. Tejada III (second from right), Dr. Douglas Bailon (rightmost), anesthesiologist Dr. Francis Stemar B. Villaruel (left), and endocrinologist Dr. Gregory Joseph Ryan Ardena (not in photo)
The team of doctors from the Asia Pacific Medical Center-Aklan, headed by Dr. Claire B. Perez (second from left) as the attending physician and Interventional cardiologist, Dr. Jastisse Arnaldo T. Tejada III (second from right), Dr. Douglas Bailon (rightmost), anesthesiologist Dr. Francis Stemar B. Villaruel (left), and endocrinologist Dr. Gregory Joseph Ryan Ardena (not in photo)
Western Visayas marked yet another achievement in the field of advanced and minimally invasive surgery, as a team of Aklan-based doctors has successfully implanted the first leadless pacemaker in the region using the Micra, considered the world's smallest pacemaker.
The team of doctors from the Asia Pacific Medical Center-Aklan --- headed by Dr. Claire B. Perez (Adult Cardiologist) as the attending physician and Interventional cardiologist, Dr. Jastisse Arnaldo T. Tejada III (Asia Pacific Medical Center-Aklan & Perpetual Help Medical Center-Las Pinas), Dr. Douglas Bailon (St. Luke's Medical Center-BGC), anesthesiologist Dr. Francis Stemar B. Villaruel, and endocrinologist Dr. Gregory Joseph Ryan Ardena --- implanted the device on a 69-year-old male diagnosed with sick sinus syndrome, a heart condition where the sinoatrial node doesn't function properly, leading to abnormal heart rhythms and symptoms like dizziness, syncope or loss of consciousness.
Such a medical feat is a great addition to Western Visayas' successful "firsts" in the field of cardiovascular care. In recent months, Ilonggos have seen the opening of the first Adult Cardiology Fellowship Training Program in the region, the first awake brain surgery at the Western Visayas Medical Center, and the first coronary intravascular lithotripsy (a non-invasive procedure using high-energy shock waves to break up severe calcifications in the vessel of the heart) at The Medical City Iloilo.
Roughly the size of a large vitamin capsule, the Micra is almost invisible once in place, giving patients the benefit of advanced technology without the visible signs and complications of surgery. Unlike the conventional pacemakers that require a surgical "pocket" in the chest and wires connected to the heart, the breakthrough device is implanted directly inside the heart through a small entry into the vein in the leg. This minimally invasive procedure allows patients to recover faster and have a lower risk of infections. Aesthetically, it leaves no visible surgical scar compared to traditional pacemaker implants.
The region’s medical milestones, particularly the opening of the first cardiology training program for young cardiologists at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC), are aligned with the Department of Health's strategy to "decentralize" cardiovascular services outside of Metro Manila through the Republic Act No. 11959, or the Specialty Centers Act. Under this law, the DOH seeks to establish specialty centers in rural areas to give indigent patients, often without the means to travel long distances, access to specialized care.

Related Tags

Health and Wellness
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.