THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
An advanced third generation cardiac electrophysiology lab for diagnostic and interventional electrophysiology and coronary procedures started functioning at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology
(SCTIMST). Dr.Asha Kishore, Director, SCTIMST inaugurated this facility on Friday.
This is one of the very few exclusive cardiac electrophysiology labs in the country and the first of its kind in Kerala. The advanced facilities at the Lab include Electrophysiology Navigation, Online radiation monitoring, Integration with 3D mapping, 3D mapping guided Ablation and Device implantation. These advanced facilities in the new Lab will help accurate diagnosis of cardiac rhthym disorders that present presenting with palpitation, giddiness, loss of consciousness etc .
The origin and pathway of spread of such abnormal cardiac arrhythmias can be localized most accurately and systematically. In addition, this technology can be used to detect patients at risk of sudden cardiac death and treating them at the earliest. Dr. Ajitkumar VK, the head of Cardiology mentioned that around 6000 patients were investigated and treated in the earlier generation EP lab every year of which 800 were advanced procedures, besides implantation of complex pacemakers like defibrillators and biventricular pacemakers.
These can be done with greater accuracy and efficiency with the installation of the new facility. The cardiac
electrophysiology team is formed of 4 specialists in cardiac electrophysiology -Dr Ajit Kumar, Dr Narayanan Namboodiri, Dr Krishna Kumar and Dr Mukund Prabhu.
