DD Correspondent
JAMMU: From next-generation leadless pacemakers designed to offer long-term performance to cutting-edge structural heart interventions, advances in cardiology took centre stage at a Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme hosted by PARAS Health Gurugram in association with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Jammu Chapter, on Saturday.
The programme, titled “What Is New in Cardiology 2026”, featured Dr Amit Bhushan Sharma, Senior Director and Unit Head – Interventional Cardiology at PARAS Health Gurugram, who highlighted emerging technologies, complex clinical cases and the evolving possibilities of minimally invasive cardiac treatment.
A key focus was the advancement of leadless pacing technology, particularly the world’s smallest retrievable leadless pacemaker, designed to provide long-term pacing support while offering the advantage of retrieval when clinically indicated. The technology represents an important development in cardiac rhythm management, where the emphasis is increasingly on reducing device-related complications, improving patient comfort and expanding treatment options.
Unlike conventional pacemakers, which generally use leads connecting the device to the heart, leadless pacemakers are implanted directly inside the heart. By eliminating these leads and the traditional surgical pocket, the technology can help address some complications associated with conventional systems. Advances in device longevity and retrievability further underline the direction in which modern electrophysiology is moving.
Dr Sharma also discussed the expanding role of advanced interventions in treating complex cardiovascular conditions, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), MitraClip procedures and transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). These minimally invasive approaches are broadening treatment possibilities for patients who may be unsuitable for conventional open-heart surgery or for whom a less invasive option is clinically appropriate.
Drawing on his clinical experience, Dr Sharma highlighted unique and challenging cardiac cases to illustrate how advances in technology, careful patient selection and procedural expertise are reshaping cardiovascular care. The discussion offered participating medical professionals insights into evolving treatment strategies and the growing importance of precision-driven interventions.
With cardiology witnessing rapid advances in device technology, imaging and catheter-based procedures, such academic interactions provide a platform for clinicians to exchange knowledge, discuss clinical challenges and remain abreast of developments that may influence patient outcomes.
Dr Sharma has led the Department of Cardiology at PARAS Health Gurugram since 2017. A specialist in complex coronary interventions and structural heart procedures, he has contributed to the advancement of sophisticated cardiac treatments in India. He is also credited with performing North India’s first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker implantation, marking a significant milestone in advanced cardiac rhythm management.
His professional journey has been shaped by advanced training in India and the United States. After completing his DM in Cardiology at the prestigious KEM Hospital, Mumbai, he pursued further training in complex coronary angioplasty at Mount Sinai, New York, and structural heart interventions at Michigan State University, Lansing.
A homecoming rooted in medical legacy
For Dr Sharma, the interaction in Jammu carried a personal significance. Deeply connected to the region, he comes from a distinguished medical family whose contribution to healthcare has left a lasting impression.
His father, Dr DB Sharma, was a renowned paediatrician who headed the Department of Paediatrics at Government Medical College, Jammu, and later served at Batra Hospital. His mother, Dr Kumkum Sharma, is a respected pathologist and transfusion medicine specialist who headed the Blood Bank and Department of Transfusion Medicine.
Inspired by his parents’ legacy of dedicated medical service, Dr Sharma has built his own professional standing in the field of advanced cardiology, combining international training with experience in complex cardiac interventions.
The CME underscored the importance of continued medical education and professional collaboration in keeping healthcare practitioners informed about emerging technologies. As cardiac care moves towards increasingly precise, minimally invasive and patient-centric interventions, the exchange of clinical knowledge remains essential to translating innovation into better treatment possibilities.
For Jammu’s medical community, the programme offered an opportunity to engage with contemporary developments in cardiology and explore how advances in cardiac devices and structural heart interventions are shaping the future of cardiovascular medicine.
