After a cardiac event weakens the heart muscle, monitoring for future cardiac events and delivering quick treatment improves a patient’s health and quality of life.
For some Carle Health patients, providers recommend addressing this through the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). This small, battery-powered device sits under the skin to track the heart rhythm around the clock. When it detects life-threatening arrhythmias, the device delivers an electric shock, called defibrillation. This shock corrects the heartbeat and prevents sudden cardiac arrest.
Now, Carle Health patients also have access to the extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (EV-ICD).
Both the ICD and EV-ICD treat life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. These devices log cardiac events as a patient’s healthcare team remotely tracks the data. But the EV-ICD also offers additional benefits for patients.
“First, it [the EV-ICD] involves fewer motion and general physical restrictions,” Siva Buddhavarapu, MD, cardiology, electrophysiology, Carle Health Methodist Hospital, said. “Second, the infection risk is significantly lower because no component is placed within the bloodstream. Over a patient's lifetime, this reduced risk is a substantial advantage.”
Providers implant these devices generally in patients who have experienced cardiac arrest or have weakened heart function. It's also recommended for those who have a high risk of sudden cardiac arrest. This was the case for Terry Grena, 54, who received the EV-ICD implant in October of 2025.
“I had a heart attack and had a stent put in,” Grena said. “I didn’t know I had a heart attack. I was in the ED [emergency department] for something else and they saw that I had one at some point.” The ED team also discovered that only a small percentage of Grena’s heart was functioning. It was clear that he needed a monitor to protect him from life-threatening arrhythmias.
Care teams use the ICD or EV-ICD if a patient has experienced heart conditions that result in a weakened heart muscle and lead to an irregular heartbeat. This includes conditions including an enlarged heart muscle or coronary artery disease.
Carle Health also provides patients with a range of other pacing devices at locations in Normal, Urbana and Peoria. These technologies can diagnose, monitor and treat these and other heart conditions that cause arrythmias.
One of these technologies is the pacemaker, an implant that prevents the heartbeat from slowing. Providers implant it under the skin by the collarbone to monitor the heartbeat. When it detects that the heartbeat is too slow, it will correct the beat with an electrical signal. While the EV-ICD can function as a pacemaker for life-threatening slow rhythms, pacemakers are used when patients need frequent electrical signals.
Because only a small percentage of Gren’s heart was functioning after his heart attack, consistent monitoring was needed in case he experienced a future cardiac event. At first, Grena wore an external monitor as a vest before receiving the implant.
“I typically opt for the EV-ICD for younger patients who do not need pacing or have any other constraints, as the long-term benefit of reduced infection risk is magnified in this demographic,” Dr. Buddhavarapu said. For Grena, the EV-ICD was a good fit.
“How it was explained to me is that it [the EV-ICD] was a necessity because only a small percentage of my heart was functioning,” Grena said. “I would need this device in case something happened down the road.”
EV-ICD continues to track Grena’s heart to treat any future arrhythmias which could impact, or result from, his remaining heart function. With consistent monitoring, patients like Grena know they'll receive the care they need exactly when their hearts need it.
For more information about the treatment of abnormal heartbeats at Carle Health, visit Carle.org.
For some Carle Health patients, providers recommend addressing this through the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). This small, battery-powered device sits under the skin to track the heart rhythm around the clock. When it detects life-threatening arrhythmias, the device delivers an electric shock, called defibrillation. This shock corrects the heartbeat and prevents sudden cardiac arrest.
Now, Carle Health patients also have access to the extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (EV-ICD).
Both the ICD and EV-ICD treat life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. These devices log cardiac events as a patient’s healthcare team remotely tracks the data. But the EV-ICD also offers additional benefits for patients.
“First, it [the EV-ICD] involves fewer motion and general physical restrictions,” Siva Buddhavarapu, MD, cardiology, electrophysiology, Carle Health Methodist Hospital, said. “Second, the infection risk is significantly lower because no component is placed within the bloodstream. Over a patient's lifetime, this reduced risk is a substantial advantage.”
Providers implant these devices generally in patients who have experienced cardiac arrest or have weakened heart function. It's also recommended for those who have a high risk of sudden cardiac arrest. This was the case for Terry Grena, 54, who received the EV-ICD implant in October of 2025.
“I had a heart attack and had a stent put in,” Grena said. “I didn’t know I had a heart attack. I was in the ED [emergency department] for something else and they saw that I had one at some point.” The ED team also discovered that only a small percentage of Grena’s heart was functioning. It was clear that he needed a monitor to protect him from life-threatening arrhythmias.Care teams use the ICD or EV-ICD if a patient has experienced heart conditions that result in a weakened heart muscle and lead to an irregular heartbeat. This includes conditions including an enlarged heart muscle or coronary artery disease.
Carle Health also provides patients with a range of other pacing devices at locations in Normal, Urbana and Peoria. These technologies can diagnose, monitor and treat these and other heart conditions that cause arrythmias.
One of these technologies is the pacemaker, an implant that prevents the heartbeat from slowing. Providers implant it under the skin by the collarbone to monitor the heartbeat. When it detects that the heartbeat is too slow, it will correct the beat with an electrical signal. While the EV-ICD can function as a pacemaker for life-threatening slow rhythms, pacemakers are used when patients need frequent electrical signals.
Because only a small percentage of Gren’s heart was functioning after his heart attack, consistent monitoring was needed in case he experienced a future cardiac event. At first, Grena wore an external monitor as a vest before receiving the implant.
“I typically opt for the EV-ICD for younger patients who do not need pacing or have any other constraints, as the long-term benefit of reduced infection risk is magnified in this demographic,” Dr. Buddhavarapu said. For Grena, the EV-ICD was a good fit.
“How it was explained to me is that it [the EV-ICD] was a necessity because only a small percentage of my heart was functioning,” Grena said. “I would need this device in case something happened down the road.”
EV-ICD continues to track Grena’s heart to treat any future arrhythmias which could impact, or result from, his remaining heart function. With consistent monitoring, patients like Grena know they'll receive the care they need exactly when their hearts need it.
For more information about the treatment of abnormal heartbeats at Carle Health, visit Carle.org.
Categories: Redefining Healthcare
Tags: Arrest, Arrhythmia, Beat, Cardiac, Cardiology, Cardioverter-Defibrillator, Device, EV-ICD, Heart, ICD, Monitor, Rhythm, Vascular