Dr. Yash Lokhandwala
MD, DM (Cardiology), FACC(sp.Arrhythmias)
Special interest in the diagnosis and treatment of rhythm disturbances of the heart.
As you know the heart is a pump, but for pumping it requires an electrical signal. This electrical signal can become abnormal, it can either become very slow, what is called bradycardia, or it can become very fast that we call tachycardia. In both these conditions either the heart rate is slow or very fast they both can be very dangerous.
When the heartbeat is too slow, then the patient can faint, and when it becomes too fast, then also the patient can be in danger to their life. The diagnosis of these diseases can be identified through ECG. But for this treatment, there are other steps also to be taken.
Sometimes, the serious condition they may have to be admitted to the ICU, when the heart rhythm becomes very slow, it is called bradycardia. For these patients, we need to put pacemakers.
The pacemaker is an artificial machine that keeps the heart rhythm or heartbeat at the normal speed. This pacemaker is sometimes installed for a few days and is called a temporary pacemaker, and sometimes it is permanent. Which is always in the body which is called a permanent pacemaker.
When the heartbeat increases or becomes fast, it can come from the top side of the heart or the bottom part of the heart. Some heartbeats become fast regularly. There is a permanent cure for this, which is called EP study, means the ElectroPhysicology study or RF ablation which means Radio Frequency.
For this treatment the patient needs to be admitted to the hospital and using a special machine, which is called a cath-lab. In the Holy Family hospital cath-lab, we see the heart and through the veins of the leg the pipes are put and the permanent cure is done.
Sometimes, the heart rate increases from the lower part of the heart. It can be dangerous, and sometimes such patients need to be given a shock in case of emergencies. In this case, sometimes such a machine needs to be put which will always stay in the body and which will always monitor the rhythm of the heart, and if the rhythm goes out of control Then it will give a shock and save the patient. This machine is called ICD, which is an implanted defibrillator.
All these treatments that I told you'll about the Holy Family Hospital. It has the facilities for many years and they are regularly going on.
If the heart rate is unstable, then there are various medicines too, and these medicines need to be regularly monitored. One more treatment is that sometimes through surgery, the nerves which go to the heart are removed. This operation is called sympathectomy.
In this country, there are very few hospitals with this facility, and this treatment is available for many years in our Holy Family Hospital.
In this video, I have told you about heart rhythm disorders or abnormal heart rhythms.