Miami, October 23, 2007 – Mercy Hospital’s Dr. Alberto Interian, medical director of the Arrhythmia Syncope Center, will present an Electrophysiological Study and Catheter Ablation with 3-D mapping during a live webcast on November 15th at 5:00 p.m. The webcast will be moderated by Dr. Peter V. Garcia, associate director, Mercy Hospital Arrhythmia Syncope Center. This will be the first time a procedure of this kind is performed live during a web broadcast and simulcast in English and Spanish.
An electrophysiology (EP) test or study looks at the conduction or electrical system of the heart by recording electrical activity from within the heart chambers. Thin wires are advanced into the heart through a small tube similar to cardiac catheterization to see if the irregular heartbeat can be reproduced. An EP study allows the electrophysiologist to study heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias) in a controlled setting. The procedure is typically performed when a patient has a pre-determined abnormality such as supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or re-entrant tachycardia. After the mapping has been completed, the ablation can be performed. During the ablation, radiofrequency energy is delivered through a catheter that is in contact with the abnormal pathway. The tip of the catheter heats up and will eliminate the abnormal pathway.
Dr. Interian will perform the procedure as part of Mercy Hospital’s program to broadcast select surgeries and special procedures on the web so individuals can log on and view what takes place in the operating room during those procedures. Mercy initiated this program with hopes of minimizing the fear and anxiety patients feel prior to undergoing a surgery or procedure. The procedure will be the 5th webcast that Mercy Hospital has broadcast live on the web and can be viewed in the webcast archives.
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Mercy Hospital, a recipient of the prestigious Magnet™ award for nursing excellence, is Miami-Dade’s only Catholic Hospital. Established in 1950, it is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph and a member of Catholic Health East. A 483-bed acute care hospital, staffed by over 700 physicians representing 27 medical specialties, its Centers of Excellence include: The Heart Center at Mercy Hospital, the Miami Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital, the Orthopaedic Institute at Mercy Hospital, and the Minimally Invasive Surgical Institute at Mercy Hospital. Mercy Hospital is located at 3663 S. Miami Avenue, Miami, FL.
For more information contact:
Arianne Rey
(305) 860-4634
Yvette Rodriguez
(305) 663-3543
