2023-06-24 15:00:03
For the first time in the world, atrial fibrillation ablation surgery was performed without X-rays and without ultrasound monitoring. The operation was performed at the Mauriziano hospital in Turin. In recent days, at the Cardiology Department of the Mauriziano hospital in Turin (directed by Giuseppe Musumeci), an atrial fibrillation ablation operation was performed by Stefano Grossi with the complete abolition of the patient’s exposure to X-rays, using an innovative technique put taking place for the first time in the world. “The operated patient is a 28-year-old from Turin, suffering from atrial fibrillation, his course was regular and the boy was discharged after only two days asymptomatic and without complications”, underline the doctors. The intervention will be of great use in particular for the groups of patients more sensitive to ionizing radiation for reasons of age, pathology, fertility status.
“It is known that exposure to X-rays can be potentially harmful and is therefore limited as much as possible – the doctors recall – For this reason, over the years, thanks to very sophisticated systems, attempts have been made to reduce the amount of radiation delivered to the patient undergoing ablation”.
“With this innovative and revolutionary technique, the ablative procedures are performed through a virtual reconstruction of the patient’s heart anatomy which is based on electromagnetic information gathered from the movement of the small catheters that reach the heart chambers by venous or arterial route connected to a three-dimensional reconstruction. This so-called ‘electroanatomical’ system avoids the need to use X-rays to visualize the heart”, underline the specialists.
For atrial fibrillation “there remained a procedural phase in which radiation was still necessary, that is, the one in which a membrane located between the two atria of the heart must be passed. Technology has recently made available a ‘needle’ device for the crossing of the interatrial septum of the heart which allows a virtual visualization obtained through the same electroanatomical modality without the use of radiation”, highlights the hospital.
Atrial fibrillation affects millions of Italians. It can be calculated that only in Turin and its province about 1,000 new cases arise every year and that the spread of the disease is destined to increase, being linked to the aging of the population. It produces symptoms in the form of heartbeat, difficulty breathing, easy fatigue, and can give rise to heart failure and is linked to an increased risk of stroke, of which it causes in 20% of cases. It is also known that arrhythmia can be responsible for cognitive decline of variable degree up to dementia.
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