Times of India
04 September 2010
Chennai, India

Hospital gets 3D mapping system to detect arrhythmia
Sudden deaths of people, mostly young men and women, caused by arrhythmia could be prevented if diagnosed early. The diagnosis has been made easy with the 3D imaging system now available, said Dr Ulhas Pandurangi, senior consultant cardiologist at the Madras Medical Mission (MMM).

Arrhythmia is a condition where the heartbeat goes haywire. When electrical activity of the heart becomes abnormal, the beat may be too fast or too slow, and regular or irregular. Though in some cases it can be ignored, many require medical intervention.

In a press conference ahead of the three–day annual conference of Arrhythmia Heart Failure Academy, Pandurangi said, "We now have a 3D imaging system that will help cardiologists view the mechanics of the specific areas in the heart by delivering radio frequency energy at the desired spot. This makes diagnosis more accurate."

Already, 100 cases of arrhythmia have been treated at the hospital using this device. "Earlier, treating complex cases like tachycardia (fast heart rate) was tricky. Now, with this facility, there is a significant improvement in the outcome," said Dr Nitish Badhwar from the University of California. Dr Mullasari Ajit, director of cardiology at MMM, also stressed the importance of teaching this new method to doctors so that it could be popularised.

The conference, which began on Friday, will update electrophysiologists and cardiologists on developments in the management of arrhythmia. "We will make representations to the state to have treatment for arrhythmia brought under the its health insurance scheme. We are confident that we can treat such diseases for Rs 50,000," said Pandurangi.