'Awareness about ICD, CRT is must, can be beneficial to patients'

'Awareness about ICD, CRT is must, can be beneficial to patients'

                                                                               

HE HAS done his medical education from Government Medical College. Nagpur. He then went on to do his MD (Medicine) from the same institution, being awarded 3 gold medals for standing first in the Nagpur University. After obtaining his DM (Cardiology) qualifications from GB Pant in New Delhi, he went to UK where he obtained his MRCP. Recently, he was awarded the FRCP by the Royal College of Physicians in London. He is currently working at the Heart and Lung Centre. New Cross Hospital. Wolverhampton. UK. located near Birmingham. He is the member of the committee which is preparing guidelines about managment of the patients suffering from fainting. The committee was coastituted by National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE)

Dr Sanjiv Petkar is a Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist which means that apart from being a general cardiologist, his main interest is in the diagnosis and treatment of electrical disorders of the heart is in city to install new body of Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) at Hotel Centre Point on Sunday. Dr Sunil Ambulkar will be taking charge as President and Dr Harish Warbhe will be the new Secretary. Pointing out that there is a lack of awarness about Implantable Defibrillators (ICD) which can protect heart well manner. Dr Petkar elaborated it He said. "Fast abnormal heart rhythms arising from the lower chambers of the heart and especially occurring a few years after a heart attack, are usually dangerous (ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation) and require prompt treatment with an electrical shock to improve the outcome. It is usually caused by electrical impulses arising from areas of scar tissue in the heart as a result of a previous heart attack. Sadly, some patients who do not get prompt treatment for such abnormal heart rhythms may not survive.""Also, unfortunately, those patients who have experienced an abnormal heart rhythm once arc very likely to experience another episode in the following year. Such patients can be helped by the insertion of implantable defibrillators (ICD'si which can recognise and deliver a shock to the patient within 15-30 seconds from the start of the abnormal heart rhythm, helping to terminate the abnormal rhythm and hence save the life of the patient. Scarring of the heart muscle due to an old heart attack may also cause a decrease in pumping function of the heart (heart failure) due to the right lower and left lower chamber of the heart not working in unison. Such paiienis, in addition 10 a defibrillator, can also be helped by an extra wire in the left side of the heart, called as a 'cardiac resyn-chronisalion therapy' device. The use of such devices in the general population has been found to be cost effective by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), the apex guideline development body in the UK," pointed Dr Petkar.

Speaking about Electrophysiology study and ablation, Dr Petkar said. "Ablation is an invasive procedure undertaken using local anaesthesia. Mild sedation (medication to make them sleepy) is also given to decrease their anxiety and ensure that they arc comfortable during the procedure. Thin wires are passed through the veins in the groin to the heart under X-Ray guidance and electrical signals obtained and analysed. Frequently abnormal heart rhythms maybe triggered by delivering extra impulses to the heart. In about a third of cases, the passage of the abnormal heart signals through the heart can be traced by the use of sophisticated mapping systems. Once the area identified, ablation i.e., destruction of the tissue of a small area of heart, is undertaken using either electrical energy or freezing. This is very similar to spot welding. Depending on the type of abnormal heart rhythm being treated, the procedure can last from between 90 minutes to 4 hours. Patients are usually mobile in a few hours and some can also be discharged the same day. No stitches are needed in the groin from where the wires are passed."the area identified, ablation i.e.. destruction of the tissue of a small area of heart, is undertaken using either electrical energy or freezing, This is very similar to spot welding. Depending on the type of abnormal heart rhythm being treated, the procedure can last from between 90 minutes to 4 hours. Patients are usually mobile in a few hours and some can also be discharged the same day. No stitches are needed in the groin from where the wires are passed."

Posted in: News 2014