New technology can assist complex heart surgeries

If you have previously undergone heart operation or ablation therapy for arrhythmia, new rhythm disturbances may occasionally arise as a result of the previous treatment. This type of heart rhythm disorder can be challenging to treat, but the new technology offers us new possibilities.

New technology for complex heart operation

At Privathospitalet Mølholm, we have just started using the brand-new CardioFocus technology. This new technology allows us to combine the ‘PFA’ procedure with three-dimensional mapping of the relevant areas of the heart.

Together, these elements greatly assist in the treatment of complex heart rhythm disorders. Our preliminary experience confirms that combining the new technology with our current treatment is yielding positive results.

Why do heart rhythm disorders occur?

Heart rhythm disorders can sometimes occur following previous heart surgery. This can happen if you have had a heart valve replaced or cardiac operation to correct a congenital heart defect. It can also occur following ablation treatment for atrial fibrillation, as a result of the procedure. And it is precisely these kinds of operations that are made easier by advanced computer systems, explains Peter Steen Hansen, a cardiology specialist at Privathospitalet Mølholm:

"It is often a type of heart rhythm disorder known as ‘atrial flutter’, where the electrical impulses in the atria run too fast and in a sort of ‘carousel’. This type of heart rhythm disorder usually cannot be effectively treated with medication, why we often recommend ablation treatment, which is performed directly on the heart using small instruments inserted into the heart via the blood vessels in the groin," says Peter Steen Hansen.

What are the benefits of PFA?

In recent years, a new technology has been developed that uses short pulses of high-voltage current instead of heat or cold. This treatment is called Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) and, as Peter Steen Hansen explains with great enthusiasm, it has both advantages and disadvantages:

"The advantage of PFA is that it is highly effective and only affects heart tissue. Therefore, it does not affect the structures immediately surrounding the heart, such as the esophagus, blood vessels, nerve pathways and lungs. The disadvantage is that we have not yet been able to combine PFA with three-dimensional mapping. We can do that now, and the new technology gives us completely new opportunities to perform these complex heart operations," he says.

22. juli 2024