The Department has an experience of many years in the diagnosis and treatment of all cardiac arrhythmias. It has an ultra-modern laboratory, equipped with a digital coronography - angiography complex of latest technology and with innovative recording systems of tridimensional-3D mapping, which allow even the depiction of the structure of the heart and the local electrocardiogram in real time.
In the Electrophysiology Laboratory all the spectrum of electrophysiology interventions and pacing is performed by specialized and experienced interventional electrophysiologist.
Indicatively, the following are performed:
- Any kind of electrophysiology studies
- Implantation of bifocal pacemakers, including pacemakers with innovative technology without electrodes
- Replacements of all the previously mentioned devices
- Implantation of subcutaneous cardiac rhythm Holter
It is one of the few centers in Greece, where the following are performed:
- complete electrophysiology studies
- ablations of all the supraventricular tachycardias (atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardias, atrial tachycardias, fascicular tachycardias, tachycardias in WPW syndrome, type atrial flutter tachycardias)
- ablations of atrial fibrillation, using latest technologies, such as Cryo Baloon liquid nitrogen balloon or tridimensional mapping systems such as Navx Precision and Carto
- ablations of ventricular tachycardias, of both idiopathic and those caused by structural diseases and particularly by ischemic or dilative causes, with the aid of the above-mentioned tridimensional mapping systems.
Ablation of atrial fibrillation - Techniques
Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent arrhythmia today and it is one of the main causes of vascular stroke, cardiac insufficiency (heart failure), sudden death and cardiovascular mortality. There are a lot of risk factors are involved in the onset of the disease. Others such as arterial hypertension, obesity, sleep apnea, thyroid diseases and alcohol consumption are treatable, and others are non-modifiable such ad age, heredity and gender.
By the pathophysiology of the disease, we know that a great percentage of atrial fibrillation cases is due to triggering foci situated on the pulmonary veins of the left atrium.
The isolation of the pulmonary veins and the destruction of the arrhythmogenic foci is the most testes and appropriate treatment of paroxysmal and persisting atrial fibrillation.
In the Electrophysiology Laboratory of Metropolitan General, the interventions which take place for the isolation of pulmonary veins are performed either by applying high-frequency current, with the help of an annular mapping catheter or by using cryotherapy balloon catheter around the pulmonary veins.
Concerning the first ablation technique, applying high-frequency current, sequential thermal damages (catheterization) around the pulmonary veins. Concerning the second techniques, the catheter is applied for 3 - 4 minutes and develops from minus 40 to minus 50 degrees Celsius. This temperature can cause an equally distributed transmural damage, isolating in this way the pulmonary veins.
Contact number: +30 210 650 2519 - 210 650 2518
