Innovative heart surgeries started in Karaganda

A master class on atrial fibrillation ablation using an intracardiac ultrasound sensor was held in Karaganda Multidisciplinary Hospital No. 2. Previously, during such operations, doctors were forced to use X-ray navigation, which caused both specialists and patients to receive a significant dose of radiation.

Atrial fibrillation is a common pathology that leads to cardiac arrhythmias. Its treatment is possible with the help of ablation — cauterization of the problem area in the atrium. The new equipment purchased for the hospital makes it possible to dispense with X-rays and perform high-precision surgery by obtaining an image directly from the heart cavity.

Ilya Stenin, an expert in the field of catheter treatment of arrhythmias and Zero-fluoro technology, who came from Novosibirsk, conducted a master class on this high-tech technique.

— The innovation is that we see the heart in real time thanks to an ultrasound sensor that is inserted directly into its cavity. It is very small — only about 5 mm in diameter — and provides excellent visualization. After such an operation, the arrhythmia disappears in most patients, and they can return to a full—fledged life," said Nurlan Elemesov, an arrhythmologist at Multidisciplinary Hospital No. 2.

The modern operation will be carried out free of charge as part of compulsory social health insurance. The waiting period is from one to two months. According to experts, 2-3% of the population in Karaganda suffer from arrhythmia caused by atrial fibrillation, and the new technology will help many of them restore their health.