On December 14, the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine team of the First Affiliated Hospital (FAH) of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), relying on its independently developed “5G+AI Smart Remote Consultation and Surgical Collaboration Platform”, successfully performed the first leadless cardiac pacemaker implantation in Nagri Prefecture at Nagri Prefecture People’s Hospital in Xizang for a patient of Zang ethnicity. This achievement fills a regional technical gap and brings new “heart” hope to people on the plateau.
Nagri Prefecture is characterized by severe cold and hypoxia, and its capacity for cardiovascular disease diagnosis and treatment remains limited. The admitted patient of Zang ethnicity was diagnosed with third-degree atrioventricular block and required urgent implantation of a permanent cardiac pacemaker. In the past, such patients often had to travel long distances to Lhasa or inland areas for treatment, with high risk and high cost. Taking the initiative to shoulder this responsibility, the team of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of the FAH, under the overall coordination of Director Yuan Zuyi, decided to adopt the world-leading Micra AV leadless pacemaker technology. Associate Chief Physician Zhu Danjun and Attending Physician Feng Jiahao traveled to the site to perform the procedure, while an expert panel led by Professor Guo Ning at the home institution provided collaborative remote guidance through the platform.
On the day of surgery, the remote platform enabled “digital-twin” replication of the operating-room scenario. Experts at both locations simultaneously accessed the patient’s records, imaging and intraoperative vital-sign data, and conducted real-time, precise communication on key steps such as pacemaker positioning and parameter testing. The platform’s ultra-low latency of less than 0.05 seconds ensured immediate transmission of surgical instructions. The entire procedure lasted approximately one hour. The pacemaker was successfully anchored, the patient’s vital signs remained stable, and bradycardia symptoms were fundamentally resolved.
This procedure represents an important achievement of the FAH’s paired assistance driven by technological innovation. Through the model of “AI-enabled support, remote collaboration and local implementation”, high-quality medical resources were brought closer to the community, putting the Healthy China strategy into practice. Going forward, leveraging this smart platform, the FAH will continue to strengthen efforts in the development of a chest pain center and a high-altitude disease center in Nagri Prefecture, building a full-cycle intelligent health protection system and contributing “heart” strength to the development of the National Medical Center.
