Asia–Africa’s First: KFSHRC Successfully Implants Smallest Permanent Pacemaker in 2-kg Newborn
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) Riyadh has successfully implanted the smallest permanent pacemaker in a newborn weighing just 2 kg. To address the challenge of the infant’s size, the team worked with the device manufacturer to create a customized version, enabling a safe procedure that provided early cardiac stability and a better chance for complication-free growth.
The case is among fewer than 85 reported worldwide and is registered as the first of its kind in Asia and Africa, underscoring KFSHRC’s expertise in caring for the most delicate pediatric patients and advancing specialized cardiac care.
At under four weeks of age, the infant had a complex congenital heart defect successfully repaired. Postoperatively, bradycardia with an atrioventricular conduction disturbance was observed, necessitating implantation of a customized pacemaker to ensure stability and sustained cardiac function.
This success represents a major advance in newborn care. It lets the team shorten hospitalization and lowers risks tied to traditional options, like infections or failure of temporary devices, as well as local inflammation from standard pacemakers, which are relatively large for infants.
KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and fifteenth globally among the world’s top 250 academic medical centers for 2025 and recognized by Brand Finance as the region’s most valuable healthcare brand. It is also listed among Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2025, Best Smart Hospitals 2026, and Best Specialized Hospitals 2026, reaffirming its leadership in innovation-driven care.
