New medical technology fixes short-circuited heart

Advanced technology in electrophysiology has helped doctors at Fortis Hospitals here put a young man, who had a rare manifestation of a common problem, on the road to recovery by setting right abnormal electric circuits in his heart.

K R Choudhury, 32, didn’t pay attention to the frequent episodes of rapid heart palpitations he had been experiencing for the last two years, not knowing how near fatal his condition was. He was brought to Fortis Hospitals, Cunningham Road, after an ECG by his general physician showed an abnormality in the heart.

Investigations revealed that he was suffering from a condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW). Simply said, it is a short-circuit of the heart, along with atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heart rhythm characterised as disorganised, rapid and irregular. The condition can be extremely dangerous and even fatal if not treated in time.

Electrophysiologists—doctors trained to treat electrical circuits in the heart—at the hospital used state-of the art equipment for the first time in South Asia to conduct Cardiac Ablation, a procedure that destroys these short-circuits to restore normal rhythm.

Heart rate was 300 bpm
In January 2013, Choudhury had experienced a severe bout of palpitations and his heart rate was between 250-300, while the average beats per minute (bpm) is 72-100.

His family members mistook his nausea for acidity and suggested home remedies.
His condition only grew worse in the last three months and he was admitted earlier this month.

“The patient was diagnosed with (having) short-circuit in the heart. His heart rate was more than 300 bpm. This situation could be fatal but our patient is lucky to have survived such episodes. Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia and in the presence of WPW Syndrome, it can be fatal,” said Dr Jayakeerthi Y Rao, Consultant Cardiologist and Electro-physiologist at Fortis Hospitals, Cunningham Road.