A 53-year-old woman from Valanchari, Malappuram has received life-saving treatment as doctors from Aster Medcity, Kochi performed a minimally invasive procedure approach called Balloon Cryoablation. The woman was in an extremely critical condition with water in her chest due to an abnormal heartbeat. She was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and was previously on medical treatment. The procedure was performed based on the patient’s safety, critical condition and risk of developing complications.

Cryoablation is an innovative and successful way to restore a normal heartbeat after interrupting abnormal electrical pathways that leads to stroke and other heart failures. The catheter is passed through a blood vessel through the patient’s leg and is routed to the heart using advanced imaging technology.  Nitrous oxide gas is infused into a cryo balloon which cools the tissue and produces intracardiac ablation lesions.  The advantage of the treatment is that the process is completed with the help of a balloon at a low temperature so that other cells are undamaged. Patients can return home the day after the procedure is performed.

Dr. Praveen Sreekumar, Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist, Aster Medicity, Kochi, said, “The patient was brought to Aster Medcity (with breathlessness and very fast irregular heartbeats, she was treated with medications. However, there were changes of this life-threatening problem coming again and again. Moreover, such problems can cause strokes as well. We opted for this minimally invasive procedure as it is painless and completely safe compared to other heart surgeries. Once the procedure is completed, most patients can avoid medication. Patients who undergo this procedure with an accurate diagnosis at an early stage are less likely to have a recurrence of the disease. After the procedure commenced, the patient was kept under observation for a day and discharged the following day.”

Cryo-ablation is used in patients with arrhythmia who present an abnormal heartbeat. Irregular heartbeat occurs when the nerves in the heart malfunction. Over time, this can lead to blood clots in the heart, leading to life-threatening strokes and other related heart problems and physical conditions. These patients are usually given blood thinners; in severe cases, treatments, including pacemakers, may be advised, however, this is not a permanent solution. This innovative and new treatment stands apart from all the treatment options.

Speaking about the state-of-the-art-process at the hospital, Dr. Anil Kumar, Head, Department of Cardiology, Aster Medicity, Kochi, said, “Arrhythmia’s are a serious health condition which increase the risk of strokes as well as heart failure. Atrial fibrillation (AF) problems usually occur in about 10% of patients over the age of 80. But such conditions are now seen in young people too. Other symptoms of arrhythmia include high or slow heart rate, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, feeling dizzy, fainting, and dizziness. This condition can start at a young age and worsen with age.  Aster Medicty is one of the few centers in the country and the only hospital in South Kerala to successfully introduce Cryoablation therapy. We provide this treatment at a lower cost than neighboring states and currently five patients with heart disease are scheduled to undergo the cryoablation surgery. This certainly increases the quality of life for such patients”.