After years of fatigue and frustration, Tom is regaining his strength thanks to a groundbreaking implant performed at St. David’s in Austin.
When 65-year-old construction worker Tom Derrington started feeling constantly breathless and fatigued, even simple daily activities became a struggle. Despite having a pacemaker, his heart chambers weren’t beating in sync, leaving his heart too weak to pump enough blood.
In the summer of 2025, Tom became one of the first people in the nation to receive a new treatment at St. David’s Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin. Doctors implanted the WiSE System, a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice that works with his existing pacemaker to resynchronize his heartbeat.
The results were immediate. Tom was able to walk hospital hallways without losing his breath, and within days he was back to strolling his neighborhood trails and even returning to light construction work. For patients like Tom, who had few options left, this breakthrough offers fresh hope and a chance at a more active life.
Read the full story from the Austin American-Statesman here.