Heartbeat disorders now being treated at Laniado
The Goldhammer Heart Institute at Laniado Hospital, which only last summer acquired a new catheterization machine has just opened a new state-of-the-art electrophysiology laboratory with cutting-edge equipment that enables physicians to treat various heartbeat disorders. Patients will be able to receive the most innovative treatment available without long appointment waiting time.
“Our hearts are composed of cells that have a pulsating electric field,” explains Dr. Ron Lior, Director of the Heart Institute. “Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) occur when damaged areas transmit rapid electrical impulses. A very rapid pulse rate can result in reduced cardiac output and can cause a significant drop in blood pressure, causing shortness of breath and even sudden death. Patients who suffer from arrhythmias are treated with medications and sometimes special pacemakers. The problem is that drugs have side effects that can be dangerous. Over the past three decades, a new nethod in field of cardiology has been developed called electrophysiological testing. These tests are a kind of electric catheterization."
Computer-guided electrodes are inserted into the heart through the venal system, the electrodes are placed in different areas of the heart making it possible to view it in three dimensions, enabling a precise identification of the interference in the transmission of the electrical impulses. Most importantly, they can identify the source and the pathway of the disturbances in the pulse rate. The doctor who operates the electrophysiological system can precisely cauterize the problematic areas and cure the arrhythmia and eliminate, or at least reduce, the need for medication.
Laniado Hospital’s Cardiology Institute offers the largest range of cardiac services in the Sharon region of Israel. It includes the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, the Intermediate Care Unit, which accommodates patients who do not require intensive care but still cannot be hospitalized in a regular department, and the Cardiology Department with 36 beds for patients with non-urgent cardiac problems. The Cardiology Institute also encompasses a catheterization room that operates 24/7, an advanced and very active echocardiography unit, a cardiac rehabilitation center, and a monitoring clinic.