Baptist Health Lexington unveils robotic electrophysiology lab
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — “The technology that we have has been here for 20 years, this newer part is an upgrade of that exist, which allows us to treat different abnormal heart rates in patients. the most common one is atrial fibrillation, which is a rhythm that can cause stroke, blood clots and can cause a weak heart muscle and bad symptoms. So the new technology allows us to maximize our efforts in trying to be successful in destroying or ablating the rhythm,” Dr. Gery Tomassoni, a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist at Baptist Health Lexington.
As technology continues to evolve, those at Baptist Health Lexington are also aiming to evolve with it.
The newest addition is more of an upgrade, that will aid with atrial fibrillation.
On Tuesday, Baptist Health Lexington unveiled its Genesis Robotic Electrophysiology Lab.
The Center for Disease Control Prevention say it is estimated that 12.1 million people in the United States will have AFib in 2030.
“When we tell patients that we’re gonna go inside their heart to destroy an abnormal rhythm, using a catheter, obviously, they’re very fearful of the possible complications,” added Tomassoni.
Dr. Tomassoni says using robotics makes procedures much more precise.
“It minimizes the complications that may occur when we do it manually by ourselves. instead of using a robotic system and also it reduces the fluoroscopy and the stress of the procedure on the physicians and the staff by allowing us to use it through a computer based system. Because of the softness of the tip of the catheter, and it makes it almost impossible to result in a perforation or significant damage to the heart,” he says.
Dr. Tomassoni adding that even though he has been in the business for some time, h is always blown away by how technology continues to help in the medical field.
“20 years of, of working with the system and a new technology. It’s always amazing to me every six months a year, how technology improves so much and that we’re maximizing our success rates and minimizing any type of major complications,” he also says.
The CDC also says AFib can increase a person’s risk for a stroke, also saying that some people who have AFib don’t know they have it and don’t have any symptoms.
