CHENNAI : Kauvery Hospital Chennai successfully performed the procedure of minimally invasive radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on a 75-year-old woman, suffering from abnormal heart rhythm, a condition where there is a disturbance in the normal electrical activation of the heart. This further results in abnormal heart rates such as faster heart rates (tachycardia), or extremely slow heart rates (bradycardia) or irregular heartbeats.
The woman had previously undergone a complex heart surgery for a congenital heart defect in her thirties. The heart, which normally comprises two upper chambers and two lower chambers, had three chambers in the upper portion. Recently, she presented with symptoms of extreme tiredness, palpitation, and dizziness. Often, people who suffer from such symptoms do not get it diagnosed on time, and this worsens their condition leading to complications.
“The ECG reports showed irregular heart rhythms and in order to treat the same, an ablation procedure was required. The minimally invasive procedure is much effective than treating the condition through medications. However, performing the procedure on a patient who had undergone a corrective heart surgery previously, becomes cumbersome and involves lot of risks.
This procedure utilises a 3D cardiac mapping system which aids in discovering the diseased area in the heart that harbours the abnormal electrical signals without the use of potentially harmful X-rays. The high definition (HD) mapping catheter is passed from the groin to the heart and Radio-frequency (RF) wave is used to ablate the abnormal electrical circuit causing heart rhythm disturbances,” said Dr Sakthivel R, cardiologist, Kauvery Hospital Chennai.
Speaking on the success of the treatment, Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, co-founder and executive director, of Kauvery Hospital Chennai, said, “There is a lot of hesitation and apprehension among the elderly people when it comes to undergoing any procedure, due to the risk of complications with age. Our state-of-the-art facility is equipped with some of the finest breakthrough technology in the healthcare industry, allowing us to perform minimally invasive surgeries, with a better outcome, shorter hospital stay and above all, a procedure that helps “cure” the condition. Such facilities save lives and substantially lowers risks. I appreciate Dr Sakthivel and his team for using the latest facility and treating her completely, thereby improving her quality of life.”
The procedure was successful and she was discharged on the third day without any complications. The woman has recovered from heart arrhythmia and has discontinued her medications for the same.