Doctors at Health City Cayman Islands have successfully completed their first electrophysiology study (EPS) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on a patient from Trinidad and Tobago. These highly specialised procedures would normally require a trip to the United States for the patient and is the first of its kind to be performed in the Cayman Islands.
Dr. Ravi Kishore, Chief Interventional Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist at Health City Cayman Islands, performed the procedure. He explained why such a course of action may be necessary for a patient:
“An EPS is a procedure used to evaluate the electrical conduction system of the heart. Patients might be referred for an EPS because they may be experiencing abnormal electrical impulses through their heart: it may be beating too fast, slow, or irregularly. The aim of an electrophysiology study is to analyse the cause of the abnormal heart rhythm and guide any further treatment options,” he said.
An EPS is an invasive procedure, Dr Ravi explained. The patient is given local anaesthesia to numb the area where tubes will be inserted. Once the area is numb, the doctor will insert small tubes into the groin or arm and pass specialised electrophysiology catheters through the tubes, into specific locations in the heart, he explained. The specialised catheters are placed so that the doctor can record specific information about the electrical conduction system of the heart through various ways of stimulation. Once the location of the abnormal heart rhythm is confirmed, Radiofrequency energy is delivered to the area of the heart causing the abnormal rhythm, creating scar tissue and further preventing any further disruptions in the abnormal pathway – a permanent cure to the problem.
“Health City Cayman Islands is one of the few facilities within the region where this procedure can be conducted. In fact, for every ten to fifteen cardiac centres in the world, only one centre will perform this procedure, a testament to the high level of expertise found at Health City Cayman Island,” according to officials there.
Ideal for neighbouring Caribbean islands, patients are now able to shorten their travel time for tertiary care, and avoid the high cost of travel and visa requirements for equivalent care within the United States or elsewhere.
“We believe Health City’s ability to offer such a highly specialised procedure will be of great benefit to Cayman residents having cardiac rhythm disorders (palpitations) because they now do not need to go through the trouble and expense of going overseas for such a procedure. Our international patients can also benefit from this new procedure, receiving treatment in a world class destination, providing a pleasurable and holistic recovery process,” Dr Ravi stated.
