To clinicThe world’s leading medical center for the treatment of arrhythmia and the study of the electrical conductivity of the center. The results of numerous studies by doctors from San Donato are taken as the basis for international protocols for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders.
During the year, 1800 ablations are performed here, including those for rare forms of arrhythmia, for example, Brugada syndrome. Patients with impaired cardiac conduction are fitted with portable pacemakers and defibrillators. There are more than 900 such procedures per year.
In order for all patients to receive medical care on time, the San Donato Clinic was equipped with three laboratories for catheterization and cardiac ablation.
The head physician of the department is Carlo Pappone. The doctor has 150,000 ablations and 120,000 installed pacemakers.
Doctors of the Department of Arrhythmology treat patients with concomitant heart pathology: cardiomyopathy, heart failure, infectious diseases, coronary heart disease.
Treatment Methods
A modern method of treating arrhythmia is transcatheter ablation of the heart. The patient is injected with a special catheter through the femoral artery or vein. Previously, I had to perform open-heart surgery. For now, a small puncture is enough. No more than when performing an injection or setting a dropper.
Through the system of blood vessels, the catheter is delivered to one of the chambers of the heart. To cure an arrhythmia, you need to specifically cauterize some of the heart cells that produce an irregular rhythm. This is called ablation.
Before ablation, doctors perform a 3D reconstruction of the heart. This process includes several stages: data collection through sensors at the end of the catheter and their subsequent computer processing.
While in the heart, the catheter is controlled using the Stereotaxis Niobe II robotic navigation system. This improves the accuracy of the procedure.
In the Department of Arrhythmology of San Donato, the following diseases are diagnosed and treated:
- Atrial fibrillation;
- Supraventricular arrhythmia;
- Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW);
- Brugada syndrome;
- Tachycardia Kümmel;
- Atrial flutter;
- Atrial tachycardia;
- Ventricular tachycardia, etc.
Treatment of Brugada Syndrome
Brugada syndrome is an inherited heart disease. This is due to chromosomal mutations. Scientists have identified 5 genes, the breakdown in which leads to the development of the disease. The first symptoms of Brugada syndrome appear at the age of 35-45 years.
Patients experience attacks of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. These conditions disrupt the activity of the heart and threaten life. Attacks lead to frequent loss of consciousness (syncope) and even sudden cardiac death.
Usually, with Brugada syndrome, an expensive device is installed – a cardioverter-defibrillator, which reacts to dangerous changes in the heart rhythm and sends an electric shock.
A team of doctors from San Donato was the first in the world to identify abnormal heart rate activity in Brugada syndrome. Now this disease is being successfully treated – the patient is undergoing transcatheter ablation. This procedure is safer and more effective than defibrillator implantation.
