Kauvery Hospital Chennai, a unit of Kauvery Group of Hospitals in Tamil Nadu, successfully performed a six-hour-long, minimally invasive Cardiac Electrophysiology intervention procedure, to correct a potentially fatal acute heart rhythm problem, of genetic origin, in a forty-two-year-old IT professional. He was received at the emergency with palpitations and giddiness; ECG showed ventricular tachycardia (VT). It was reverted with multiple electric shocks (defibrillation).
In ventricular tachycardia, the heartbeat is abnormally fast, typically 200 or more beats per minute. A fast heartbeat makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood and maintain circulation. If this occurs, the individual would develop shortness of breath, dizziness, or even lose consciousness. A sustained ventricular tachycardia can degrade to ventricular fibrillation, an even faster and chaotic rhythm, leading to sudden cardiac arrest.
An emergency response team of ER physicians, cardiologists and anesthesiologists at Kauvery hospital administered electric shocks. The cardiac electrophysiologists promptly conducted Electrophysiology (EP) studies, and performed a cardiac intervention procedure called Radio-Frequency Ablation (RFA) to normalise the patient’s heart rhythm. They also implanted an Intra Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) to prevent and treat possible any recurrence in future of the arrhythmia.
Explaining the procedure, Dr Deep Chandh Raja S, Clinical Lead Cardiac Electrophysiologist- Kauvery Hospital, who performed a 6-hour-long procedure on the patient, said, “The 42-year-old was suffering from Familial Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD), which is a Cardiomyopathy of genetic origin. In this condition, the muscle gets altered, developing short circuits in the heart’s electrical conducting system This patient was fortunate to reach the hospital with repeated episodes of Ventricular Tachycardia. We took him for a complex procedure called “Endo-Epicardial Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)”. In this procedure, we removed the short circuits from both the heart's inner and outer surfaces, with a minimally invasive approach, at the Hybrid Cath Lab. Also, we used advanced equipment like a 3D Navigation system and contact force catheters. The patient was off the ventilator the same day. The patient also received the implant of a Defibrillator (ICD) on Day 7. His heart rhythm has since been normal, and he is free from episodes of VT.”
The cardiac anaesthetic team was headed by Dr P Chandrasekhar. The patient is now back in his hometown, has resumed work and is being closely monitored.