Good Samaritan Hospital Offers Unsurpassed Expertise in Treatment of Irregular Heartbeats
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As recently as five years ago, patients living with an irregular heartbeat – known as arrhythmia – knew they would be taking medication and limiting their physical activity for the rest of their lives. The effects ranged from being a nuisance to being life threatening – either way the patient’s quality of life was greatly impacted.
Not anymore.
Good Samaritan Hospital has led the way in Cincinnati in pioneering innovative treatments for arrhythmia. In fact, today Good Samaritan is the most experienced hospital for two leading-edge treatments for one of the most troubling arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, or a-fib. Atrial fibrillation ablation and robotic-assisted Maze surgery offer options for a permanent cure, allowing patients to reclaim an active life, free from medication and the troubling symptoms of arrhythmia.
Going Hiking Again
Hiking in the mountains of Colorado and cross country skiing in Michigan were passions for David Dankovic that he nearly gave up when an irregular heart rhythm left him out of breath with the slightest exertion.
After struggling with atrial fibrillation (a racing heartbeat originating in the top chambers of the heart), and pursuing various treatments and medications, “I could function OK sitting around the house or at work, but anything extra was too much. It was impacting my lifestyle.”
Then he discovered that Good Samaritan Hospital was offering a treatment option for atrial fibrillation called catheter ablation. David underwent the procedure, which uses a catheter to deliver radiofrequency energy to scar the problem area in the heart and eliminate the arrhythmia.
“It’s wonderful to have such an effective treatment available,” David says. “Not every cardiologist or hospital can do this. It’s been a great success.
“For me, this was an excellent choice,” he continues. David is back to cross country skiing and taking long walks with his wife. “It’s nice to feel like I can do that again. It’s aerobic. It’s fun. We love it.” |
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Atrial fibrillation ablation
Good Samaritan physicians have performed more than 300 a-fib ablations, building a level of expertise that far surpasses any other medical facility in the Tristate. Ablation uses a catheter to deliver radiofrequency energy to the heart to scar the problem area, which blocks erratic impulses and eliminates the irregular heartbeat. With a success rate ranging from 60 to 80 percent, the procedure provides permanent symptom relief without ongoing medication.
To enhance the precision of catheter placement, Good Samaritan recently introduced Stereotaxis, a leading-edge technology that relies on the power of magnets to guide softer, computer-guided catheters. The sophisticated equipment allows physicians to produce micro movements that would be extremely difficult manually. Good Samaritan is one of only 40 sites nationally – and the only hospital in the region – to utilize this system, which yields better outcomes and less risk to delicate heart tissue.
Robotic-assisted Maze surgery
Good Samaritan was the first and remains the only hospital in the area offering robotic-assisted Maze surgery for a-fib ablation. The Maze procedure creates scars to stop the arrhythmia in a manner similar to the catheter procedure. This minimally invasive option may be appropriate for patients for whom medication and ablation have not been successful, or for patients who require surgery for other reasons in addition to their atrial fibrillation.
For more information, visit the Arrhythmia Care Web site or call Good Samaritan Hospital Arrhythmia Care at (513) 862-3588.
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