Healthy Living Tips from
The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | January 2023
HEALTH TIP : Precision Planning is Key to a Successful Ablation Procedure
Do you suffer from ventricular tachycardia , an abnormal heart rhythm in the lower chambers of your heart ? Have you been recommended for a cardiac ablation to treat this condition ? If so , the specialists at Deborah Heart and Lung Center want you to be aware of new pre-ablation planning technology that increases the precision of where the radiofrequency energy is directed during the procedure , improving overall patient outcomes .
What is Ventricular Tachycardia ( VT )?
According to Raffaele Corbisiero , MD , Deborah ’ s Chair of Electrophysiology , ventricular tachycardia ( VT ) is an abnormal heart rhythm in the lower chambers of the heart . Patients with VT often have a pounding heart rate , chest pain , lightheadedness and shortness of breath .
“ This is a very serious cardiac abnormality that can lead to stroke , heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest . It absolutely requires treatment . Ablation , which uses radiofrequency energy directed at the arrhythmia , does an excellent job at treating this , but making sure we focus the remote energy to the exact spot is critical for the procedure to be successful .”
New Tools to Tackle VT
Deborah recently introduced the innovative new VIVO™ System ( Catheter Precision , Inc .), making it the first cardiac center in New Jersey with this sophisticated technology . The VIVO system provides GPS-like mapping which pinpoints the exact spot where the heart arrhythmia is located . This provides precise navigation for Deborah ’ s electrophysiology specialists .
“ This noninvasive procedure , done under light sedation , provides us with a highly detailed three-dimensional image of the heart with a superimposed activation map that is unique to each patient ,” added Dr . Corbisiero . “ With this precise mapping , we are then able to use our Stereotaxis remote navigation system to ‘ ablate ’ the arrhythmia , blocking the irregular signals that are coming from the lower chambers of the heart .”
“ We are more than thrilled to have this new tool at our disposal . Probably 10-15 % of the heart arrhythmia patients we see have a ventricular problem . That is a significant population that will benefit from this mapping , which not only ensures precise placement of the radiofrequency energy , but saves us procedure time , improves our patient safety , and most importantly , improves our patient outcomes by ensuring that patients will not have to return for a redo on their procedure .”
For more information visit www . DemandDeborah . org or call 855-646-3484
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