WARNING: Surgical Video Included in Video.

Cardiologists at The University of Kansas Hospital are the first in the region to offer the S-ICD system, an implantable defibrillator that sits just under the skin, leaving the heart muscle untouched. The device is designed for patients at risk of sudden cardiac arrest, an abrupt loss of heart function caused by chaotic activity of the heart. The S-ICD system constantly monitors a patient's heart, delivering a lifesaving shock if sudden cardiac arrest strikes.

What makes the S-ICD system different from other implantable cardiac defibrillators is that it sits just under the skin without the need for thin, insulated wires, or leads, to be placed into the heart itself. This leaves the heart and blood vessels untouched, providing many benefits for patients. Those include less scarring, less chance of infection and a quicker recovery.

The American Heart Association estimates approximately 850,000 people in the United States are at risk of sudden cardiac arrest and need an implantable pacemaker but remain unprotected.