New generation ICD with latest technology implanted at SSH Jammu

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: An epitome of cardiology and complex cardiac device insertion Specialist of the country, Dr Sushil Kumar Sharma from Jammu, has implanted a Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) with a latest state of the art technology at Super Speciality Hospital (SSH) Jammu. These new technology enabled ICD devices have been recently available in India. These devices are Bluetooth enabled and can be paired with patient smart phone for easy and continuous and real time monitoring.
Dr Sushil Kumar Sharma HOD Cardiology at Super Speciality hospital implanted this device on a young man of 39 years from Akhnoor as a life saving device because of severe weakness of heart muscle and with very weak pumping function, only 20% compared to normal pumping of 60% in any healthy individual.
“When heart pumping function drops to less than 35% because of weakness of heart muscle whether it due to a Heart Attack or due to any other heart muscle disease itself, there is a high risk of rhythm disturbance and heart beating abnormally at a very high rate termed as Ventricular Tachycardia/Fibrillation. Such rhythm disorder like VT/VF, if not treated immediately, is the commonest cause of death globally also called Sudden Cardiac Death,” said Dr Sushil. An ICD, is often offered a long-term management solution for all identified high risk patients. ICD is a pacemaker like Implantable medical device that is placed under the skin, usually near the heart. It can monitor heart’s rhythm for very fast and potentially dangerous heart rhythms and automatically deliver an electrical shock to the heart muscle to restore your normal heart rhythm. “This patient implanted with this ICD device also received a lifesaving shock within one week and saved his precious life,” shared Dr Sushil Sharma. “However, because of this new technology the data related to this event was transmitted by patient’ mobile phone immediately which my team could check and confirm and in turn communicate to the patient,” he said.
The biggest advantage of such technology is that the patient is always connected with the doctor and his team as the device data is always available to the doctor and the patient need not travel all the way from home town to the hospital to get only the device checked, he said adding that the doctor will advise the patient to travel only if there is a need of consultation or the device settings needs to be reprogrammed saving money and time. This is a great advantage as this is not only convenient to the patient, but keeps patients and physicians connected always while having a continuous watch on device functionality from anywhere in the world.
It is pertinent to mention here that Dr Sushil Sharma has already performed complex coronary procedures and ICD insertions in past also with minimal complication rate comparable with some of the best cardiac institutions in world and after performing this procedure , department of cardiology SSH Jammu under the visionary guidance of Dr Sushil has added another feather to cap. Further Dr Sushil Sharma thanked his whole team of budding cardiologists, paramedical staff and cardiac cath lab technicians for making this whole effort possible .