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Catawba County medical center implants world's smallest pacemaker

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — Doctors at Catawba Valley Medical Center just performed the world's smallest pacemaker surgery, our partners at the Hickory Daily Record reported.

The Medtronic Micra Transcatheter Pacing System, the world’s smallest pacemaker, is about the size of a large vitamin pill, weighs as much as a penny and has a battery life of 13 to 15 years.

An 80-year old Newton resident was the first patient implanted with the device on Thursday at the medical center.

There have been about 13,000 placements of the pacemaker worldwide.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the device in 2016.