ID :
343294
Thu, 10/02/2014 - 10:46
Auther :

Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khalifa Medical City adds cryoablation to its electrophysiology service

ABU DHABI (WAM): The heart rhythm team of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, SEHA, at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, SKMC, has added a unique technology known as cryoablation to its electrophysiology (EP) service. Cryoablation can be used for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders through targeted delivery of deep freezing – typically more than 40 degrees below freezing point – to areas in the heart that cause cardiac arrhythmias. Recently, the SEHA EP team at SKMC used cryoablation to cure a young Emirati patient from an arrhythmia that has caused his heart to weaken. The young patient had an arrhythmia originating from an area very close to his main heart conduction system, and radiofrequency was too dangerous to use. The availability of cryoablation technology at SKMC offered him an opportunity for cure. The heart has a specialised internal electrical system that controls the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat, and cardiac EP is a subspecialty within cardiology that focuses on heart rhythm conditions – including conditions that affect the speed as well as the regularity of its beats. Catheter ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that is used when medications fail to treat heart rhythm disorders including atrial fibrillation, a condition that typically causes fast and irregular heartbeats. Traditionally, catheter ablation uses radiofrequency energy to apply heat to cardiac tissue that causes arrhythmias. Cryoablation offers a novel alternative to radiofrequency that is more efficient and in some cases safer than radiofrequency ablation. "Cryoablation is considered safe because it has a low risk of complications. It has been used to treat thousands of patients worldwide, and allows physicians to reach and treat the affected tissue quickly and efficiently," said Dr. Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, Chair of Cardiac Sciences at SKMC and consultant electrophysiologist. "In combination with a complete programme of treatment, cryoablation can improve quality of life and eliminate or reduce the unpleasant symptoms of atrial fibrillation like shortness of breath, fatigue, or weakness, which if left untreated can worsen over time," Dr. Alsheikh-Ali added, who is certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology. "Cryoablation can also be used when the area causing arrhythmias within the heart is close to critical parts of the normal conduction system of the heart. Using radiofrequency energy in such instances can cause collateral damage to the normal electrical system and result in complications," added Dr. Omer Elhag, Head of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Service and Consultant Electrophysiologist at SKMC, and Member of the Royal College of Physicians. The SEHA heart rhythm team at SKMC offers a comprehensive EP service in U.A.E. The unique service is led by specialist Emirati electrophysiologists who understand the needs and requirements of the local population within Abu Dhabi. As many as 40% of the EP service’s patients are local, reflecting the confidence that the facility holds within the community. SKMC, managed by Cleveland Clinic, is part of the SEHA Health System and owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA), which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395270415939.html

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