• CLOO5 – Safety and parameters at which UPT terminates VT and VF . Principal investigator : Praveen Rao , MD .
• VT-PAS – FlexAbility SE catheter post-approval study . Principal investigator : Praveen Rao , MD .
• VT Registry – A retrospective V-tach ablations outcomes study . Principal investigator : Praveen Rao , MD .
• Backbeat Study- An industry sponsored study looking at adjusting pacing intervals to control blood pressure in patients who meet indications to have permanent pacemakers . Principal investigator : Manish D . Assar , MD .
• AIM Higher- An industry sponsored study looking at using cardiac contractility modulation technology to treat heart failure in patients with relatively preserved left ventricular function : Coprincipal investigator : Manish D . Assar , MD .
• Two new registry studies : 1 ) Evaluating MRI scanning of patients that have pacemakers or defibrillators who do not have FDA approval for MRI scanning . 2 ) MRI scanning of patients that have pacemakers or defibrillators in place who have abandoned leads or epicardial leads . Coprincipal investigator : Manish D . Assar , MD .
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First in Dallas for extravascular ICD
Praveen Rao , MD , FACC , electrophysiologist on the medical staff , implanted a new-to-market device for patients with dangerously fast heart rhythms . The Aurora extravascular implantable cardiac defibrillator ( EV-ICD ) is a treatment option for fast heart rhythms that can lead to cardiac arrest . The system ’ s lead is placed outside the heart and veins under the breastbone using a minimally invasive approach . Dr . Rao and Jay Franklin , MD , FACC , FHRS , on the hospital medical staff , together with cardiothoracic surgeons , implanted more than half a dozen devices during the last months of fiscal year 2024 .
EP and central sleep apnea
Central sleep apnea ( CSA ) may lead to increased risk for abnormal heart rhythms in addition to adversely affecting heart health . Another example of early adoption includes a CSA treatment option that includes a phrenic nerve stimulator device . The procedure involves implanting the small device to treat central sleep apnea by using phrenic nerve stimulation . CSA is a serious breathing disorder that disrupts the normal breathing pattern during sleep and negatively affects sleep quality . Once implanted under the skin in the patient ’ s upper chest , the battery-powered remedē ® System activates automatically each night to stimulate the phrenic nerve in the chest that sends signals to the muscles controlling breathing . The device monitors respiratory signals and helps restore normal breathing patterns .
Cardiac contractility modulation
An alternative to patients that continue to have heart failure symptoms who do not qualify for biventricular pacing is cardiac contractility modulation ( CCM ). With this technology , bursts of electrical signals are delivered throughout the day and via changes in cardiac muscle gene expression and calcium handling , patients gain symptomatic benefit with possible increase in their left ventricular function . Manish D . Assar , MD , FACC , FHRS , medical director , led this effort in collaboration with the heart failure team .
Patient education webinar or in-person classes
Wired for Life has been a patient-focused initiative provided by registered nurses who work in the electrophysiology lab . The sessions scheduled are open to anyone in the community who has an ICD — regardless of where the ICD was implanted . To learn more about Wired for Life classes , please call the Electrophysiology Department at 214.820.0146 .
Clinical trials
Involvement in clinical trials is an important part of the Dallas electrophysiology program .
• CLOO5 – Safety and parameters at which UPT terminates VT and VF . Principal investigator : Praveen Rao , MD .
• VT-PAS – FlexAbility SE catheter post-approval study . Principal investigator : Praveen Rao , MD .
• VT Registry – A retrospective V-tach ablations outcomes study . Principal investigator : Praveen Rao , MD .
• Backbeat Study- An industry sponsored study looking at adjusting pacing intervals to control blood pressure in patients who meet indications to have permanent pacemakers . Principal investigator : Manish D . Assar , MD .
• AIM Higher- An industry sponsored study looking at using cardiac contractility modulation technology to treat heart failure in patients with relatively preserved left ventricular function : Coprincipal investigator : Manish D . Assar , MD .
• Two new registry studies : 1 ) Evaluating MRI scanning of patients that have pacemakers or defibrillators who do not have FDA approval for MRI scanning . 2 ) MRI scanning of patients that have pacemakers or defibrillators in place who have abandoned leads or epicardial leads . Coprincipal investigator : Manish D . Assar , MD .
For a complete listing of all clinical research , refer to the Clinical Trials and Research section of this book .
Continued national representation
Electrophysiologists , fellows and a resident represented the Dallas campus at the annual Heart Rhythm Society ’ s Annual Meeting in Boston , Massachusetts . Cardiovascular disease fellow in fiscal year 2024 , Will Sovic , MD , with mentoring from co-authors Haojie Wang , MD , PhD , FACC , RPVI , and Manish D . Assar , MD , FACC , FHRS , completed a podium presentation titled , Safety of MRI in Patients with Non-Conditional Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices Due to Legacy Components or Generator and Lead Manufacturer Mismatch .
Dallas medical resident , Ravi Gaddipati , MD , and electrophysiologist , Praveen Rao , MD , FACC , teamed up for a poster presentation titled , A Case of Fascicular Ventricular Tachycardia with Electrical Alternans .
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital — Dallas | Electrophysiology