A team of electrophysiologists at AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, have treated a 34-year-old man who suffered from irregular heartbeat, and had an implanted artificial heart pump known as a left ventricular assist device.
The health issue was diagnosed as ventricular tachycardia, a life-threatening arrhythmia involving extremely fast heart rate originating from the lower chambers of the heart. Medication and therapeutic electric shock were not successful in treating the issue.
The electrophysiology specialists at AIG, led by doctor Narasimhan, performed a procedure that involved introducing multiple catheters through various blood vessels into the heart. Thereafter, the electrical signals were analysed using state-of the art equipment to precisely localise the problematic site from which the rhythm problem was arising. A 3D mapping system (ensite navex) was used to navigate and precisely localise the target.
“Finally, radiofrequency energy was employed to terminate the arrhythmia — a procedure termed VT ablation. The procedure was successfully completed with complete resolution of the rhythm problem and rapid clinical improvement in blood pressure,” informed a press release.
The hospital management claimed it was a first-of-its-kind procedure in India.