The Madras Medical Mission (MMM) has launched a state-of-the-art device that is expected to vastly improve treatment of complex arrhythmias, or conditions of irregular heart rhythms.
The 3-D Electro Anatomic Mapping System, or the ENSITE Velocity System from St. Jude, U.S., helps electro-physiologists zero in on the site of disturbance that is triggering abnormal rhythms and direct radio frequency energy beams with near-perfect precision. While most types of arrhythmias can be effectively managed with conventional radio frequency ablation (RF Ablation), the complex cases do not respond half as well to the usual Cathlab procedures, said Ulhas Pandurangi, senior consultant cardiologist at MMM.
With the new equipment, it is possible to have a real-time, three-dimensional and composite illustration of the heart from the angles of chest x-rays, CT scans and MRI scans. “The imagery provides a close look at the electrical system of the heart, localise the arrhythmia and deliver highly targeted interventions,” he said.
Nitish Badhwar, consultant, University of California, San Francisco, U.S., said complex arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia have responded very poorly to conventional drug therapy or RF Ablation and success rates have been in the 30 to 40 per cent range. The 3-D mapping system could virtually double the success rates in treatment of complex arrhythmias, he said.
“The diagnostic accuracy in localising the arrhythmia is also safer for patients and treating cardiologists as it greatly lowers the exposure to radiation,” said Ajit Mullasari, Director, Cardiology.
MMM is also leveraging the ongoing second annual conference on “Arrhythmia Heart Failure” to expose electro-physiologists and cardiologists on the advantages of the new equipment. Experts from the U.S., Singapore and South Korea are performing complex procedures.
