Silver Cross Hospital First in Will County to Implant Innovative New Heart Defibrillator Lead

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox recently became the first hospital in Will County to offer patients the OmniaSecure™ defibrillator lead, a new technology used in implanted heart devices that can help protect against dangerous irregular heartbeats and sudden cardiac arrest. The technology is used within a Medtronic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-Ds).

At about 1.6 millimeters in diameter, the OmniaSecure™ lead is the smallest transvenous defibrillation lead available today. Its smaller size allows for more precise placement and may help reduce the risk of certain complications associated with larger leads.

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The OmniaSecure™ lead serves two purposes: First, it provides pacing support for patients with slower rhythms, and second, it senses for dangerous arrhythmias. If a life-threatening arrythmia is detected, the lead transmits the arrythmia signals to the implanted device, which then delivers therapy to correct or interrupt abnormally fast rhythms that can result in sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

This lead also provides electrophysiologists flexibility and provides them another option during procedures for patients with challenging cardiac anatomy. The first procedure at Silver Cross was performed by Dr. Sunil Shroff, a board-certified electrophysiologist on the hospital's medical staff, on Kay Tidwell of Joliet.

Tidwell, 83, had been experiencing episodes of tachycardia (a faster-than-normal heart rate) for about 20 years, beginning when she was still working.

"They were palpitations, but I didn't know what they were then. I was scared. There were times I felt lightheaded and felt like I was going to faint."

She had undergone cardiac ablation procedures (a minimally invasive procedure that can treat abnormal heart rhythms by eliminating the small areas of heart tissue responsible for causing them) in the past. But after a thorough examination by Dr. Shroff, he detected a slower heart rhythm that needed "pacing."

"However, the extra beats were found to be due to an infiltrative heart condition," Dr. Shroff said. "This condition needed treatment with a defibrillator. She needed a defibrillator in addition to a pacemaker.

"But newer pacemakers are done with the wire in the bottom of the heart, placed directly in the conduction system. Defibrillator leads have traditionally not put directly in the conduction system due to their larger size.

"Medtronic Omnia is a novel lead that is a defibrillator lead, but is also small enough that it also be guided into the conduction system to allow for pacing in a more coordinated manner."

In 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Medtronic OmniaSecure™ defibrillation lead, which demonstrated safety and efficacy in patients who are at risk of SCA. The OmniaSecure defibrillation lead improves reliability while maintaining a strong safety profile.

The global clinical trial found that the OmniaSecure™ lead showed high defibrillation efficacy, low complications, and reliable performance, exceeding its pre-specified performance threshold.

Tidwell said she was anxious about the procedure, "But the people at Silver Cross were so nice. I'm grateful for all they did."

She says she is still working on regaining her strength, but her follow-up check-ups have gone well, and she no longer needs her heart medication.

"I know my hobbies have me sitting around too much. I need to get up and get moving. I want to stay healthy and living life."

Dr. Shroff said Tidwell's age was no barrier, and that the procedure can be performed for any age group when the proper diagnosis calls for it.

Patients with abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) who are interested in learning more about ICDs, CRT-Ds and the leads that deliver therapy, should consult their physician. To find a heart specialist, visit silvercross.org