The activities of the University of Pécs Clinical Centre, Heart Institute’s Electrophysiology Laboratory was awarded a “Centre of Excellence” title by worldwide market leader Johnson & Johnson, Biosense Webster, for their work in catheter ablations done to treat cardiac arrythmia.
Catheter ablation is a surgical process done with a catheter that aims to cardiac arrythmia causing a feeling of quick or irregular heartbeat. Johnson & Johnson can acknowledge catheter ablation centres as Centres of Excellence if they comply with the following criteria: they are a clinical centre with professionally acclaimed electrophysiologists and trained staff; have the necessary infrastructure for conducting trainings; are using the latest technology of Johnson & Johnson, Biosense Webster; the ablations are done based on the work process recommended by Johnson & Johnson, Biosense Webster.
Although not a basic requirement, in the case of the University of Pécs, Johnson & Johnson have found it important that in accordance with the company’s goal, they are striving for minimal or zero x-ray usage, patient management is efficient, the surgery room use is optimized and there are a large number of complex procedures done even at the yearly international scale; a number that is growing every year.
The University of Pécs Clinical Centre Heart Institute is the first Hungarian rural centre – and the second Hungarian centre – that was given this esteemed award.
The director of the clinic, professor dr. Attila Cziráki has emphasized that they are incredibly proud of the award. He added, that the first x-ray free catheter ablation was done at the Heart Institute in 2017, which has since become part of the daily routine. X-ray free catheter ablation can safely be used on children and during pregnancy, and the staff can be exempt from wearing radiation protection.
Dr. Péter Kupó senior lecturer, head of the Electrophysiology laboratory emphasized: “Around 700 patients go through the catheter ablation procedure at our laboratory each year, and almost half of these are done x-ray free. It is worth to note that as the only Hungarian centre we do all electro-anatomical, mapping system-directed atrial fibrillation ablation processes – this means about 200 patients yearly – are done x-ray free.”
The video of UnivTV about the topic is available here:
Source:
PTE
Photo:
Gergely Kottász/PTE