Doctors Use the Balloon Cryoablation Procedure to Treat Arrhythmia - First in India
By Medical Expert Team
Feb 24 , 2022 | 3 min read
2
The minimally invasive and painless procedure is used to restore regular heartbeat in arrhythmia patients. Max Hospital added another feather to its cap. For the first time in India, doctors at Max hospital, Saket, successfully used balloon Cryoablation, a new and distinct approach for treating atrial fibrillation or arrhythmia.
People who have atrial fibrillation are at an increased risk of stroke. They are usually prescribed blood-thinning medicines to reduce this risk and may also be given medication to control or regulate their heart rate. Sometimes they are advised to have surgery.
Balloon Cryoablation is a minimally invasive procedure in which extreme cold is used to freeze the arrhythmia-causing heart cells. This technology used by several medical practitioners worldwide has undergone significant advancement and has recently become available in India.
Dr Balbir Singh, Chairman of Cardiology Pan Max, conducted the procedure. Dr Singh is responsible for the development, quality, clinical governance, physician hiring, credentialing, research and training, including the DNB program in Cardiology across all Max hospitals. He joined Max HealthCare in November 2019 after a long and successful tenure as Chairman of Interventional Cardiology and Electrophysiology at Medanta Hospital. He has been widely recognized and has received many National and International awards, including Padma Shri.
Shedding light on how balloon cryoablation is conducted to treat Atrial Fibrillations, Dr Singh said, “Pulmonary vein isolation is the foundation of atrial fibrillation and is effective for preventing arrhythmias recurrences. During the past few years, cryoablation has emerged as an effective procedure in treating arrhythmia. For this procedure, the patient is given a general or local anaesthetic. After this, we insert the balloon catheter into a blood vessel, which is usually in the upper leg, and it is then directed to the heart using advanced imaging techniques. This tube has an inflatable balloon on one end. When it reaches the opening of the pulmonary vein, extreme cold energy flows through the catheter to destroy abnormal electrical pathways (by freezing or deactivating it) and restore a healthy heart rhythm.”
Commenting on the numerous advantages of Balloon Cryoablation, Dr Singh said, “The procedure is minimally invasive. It is also painless and completely safe as experts in the heart’s electrical activity undertake these procedures. The arrhythmia treatment itself is of a permanent nature wherein most patients do not require follow-up medicines. The chances of recurrence are also low. Both doctors and patients are pleased with the results of balloon cryoablation treatment and we wish more patients can benefit from it.”
Dr Singh shared details of the case and said, “A 63-year-old male patient, who was suffering from recurrent palpitations because of the arrhythmia, came to us for treatment. He was otherwise healthy and loved outdoors. However, because of the arrhythmia, his normal life was compromised. For the treatment, we used a supercooled cryo balloon which was inflated around the tissue causing AF. We used the low-temperature balloon to freeze/deactivate the electrical activity of the tissues which causes arrhythmia. Post-treatment, the patient recovered swiftly. He has been discharged from the hospital and has resumed normal outdoor activities like earlier.”
Experts at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, have treated more than 34 lakh patients across 38 specialties. Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, has a complete spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, including several state-of-the-art technologies in Asia and First in India. It has received NABH & JCI accreditation for providing the highest quality of patient safety and care.
Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, offers the advantage of integrated medical care in a multidisciplinary setting provided by a faculty of highly qualified doctors, nurses, & healthcare professionals. It is a regional hub for complex procedures such as neurovascular intervention, targeted cancer treatments, heart surgeries, orthopedic surgeries, liver & kidney transplants, and fertility treatments.
People who have atrial fibrillation are at an increased risk of stroke. They are usually prescribed blood-thinning medicines to reduce this risk and may also be given medication to control or regulate their heart rate. Sometimes they are advised to have surgery.
What is Balloon Cryoablation?
Balloon Cryoablation is a minimally invasive procedure in which extreme cold is used to freeze the arrhythmia-causing heart cells. This technology used by several medical practitioners worldwide has undergone significant advancement and has recently become available in India.
Dr Balbir Singh, Chairman of Cardiology Pan Max, conducted the procedure. Dr Singh is responsible for the development, quality, clinical governance, physician hiring, credentialing, research and training, including the DNB program in Cardiology across all Max hospitals. He joined Max HealthCare in November 2019 after a long and successful tenure as Chairman of Interventional Cardiology and Electrophysiology at Medanta Hospital. He has been widely recognized and has received many National and International awards, including Padma Shri.
How Balloon Cryoablation Procedure works
Shedding light on how balloon cryoablation is conducted to treat Atrial Fibrillations, Dr Singh said, “Pulmonary vein isolation is the foundation of atrial fibrillation and is effective for preventing arrhythmias recurrences. During the past few years, cryoablation has emerged as an effective procedure in treating arrhythmia. For this procedure, the patient is given a general or local anaesthetic. After this, we insert the balloon catheter into a blood vessel, which is usually in the upper leg, and it is then directed to the heart using advanced imaging techniques. This tube has an inflatable balloon on one end. When it reaches the opening of the pulmonary vein, extreme cold energy flows through the catheter to destroy abnormal electrical pathways (by freezing or deactivating it) and restore a healthy heart rhythm.”
Advantages of Balloon Cryoablation Technique?
Commenting on the numerous advantages of Balloon Cryoablation, Dr Singh said, “The procedure is minimally invasive. It is also painless and completely safe as experts in the heart’s electrical activity undertake these procedures. The arrhythmia treatment itself is of a permanent nature wherein most patients do not require follow-up medicines. The chances of recurrence are also low. Both doctors and patients are pleased with the results of balloon cryoablation treatment and we wish more patients can benefit from it.”
Dr Singh shared details of the case and said, “A 63-year-old male patient, who was suffering from recurrent palpitations because of the arrhythmia, came to us for treatment. He was otherwise healthy and loved outdoors. However, because of the arrhythmia, his normal life was compromised. For the treatment, we used a supercooled cryo balloon which was inflated around the tissue causing AF. We used the low-temperature balloon to freeze/deactivate the electrical activity of the tissues which causes arrhythmia. Post-treatment, the patient recovered swiftly. He has been discharged from the hospital and has resumed normal outdoor activities like earlier.”
Advance Treatment at Max Hospital
Experts at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, have treated more than 34 lakh patients across 38 specialties. Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, has a complete spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, including several state-of-the-art technologies in Asia and First in India. It has received NABH & JCI accreditation for providing the highest quality of patient safety and care.
Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, offers the advantage of integrated medical care in a multidisciplinary setting provided by a faculty of highly qualified doctors, nurses, & healthcare professionals. It is a regional hub for complex procedures such as neurovascular intervention, targeted cancer treatments, heart surgeries, orthopedic surgeries, liver & kidney transplants, and fertility treatments.
