The team of Pedro Aragão , coordinator of the Centre of Cardiac Rhythm from Hospital da Luz Lisboa , successfully performed the first treatment of a complex atrial arrhythmia through stereotaxic technique and magnetic resonance imaging on October 17. This was the first time that this procedure was done: integration of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (analysis of the atrial substrate) with the Stereotaxis magnetic navigation robotic ablation system. The Center of Cardiac Rhythm of Hospital da Luz Lisboa is unique in Portugal and one of the five largest European centers to treat atrial fibrillation by robotic ablation, with this one being the most common arrhythmia in humans: more than 1,500 ablations have already been performed here using this technology. Step-by-step treatment: Selection of a female patient with severe atrial arrhythmia. Prior to the ablation, the patient underwent a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging exam, which allowed the visualization of the structures of the atriums and, in these, the identification of pathological areas. During the endocardial treatment, the stereotaxic equipment integrated the previous magnetic resonance images, in order to perform the therapy with great precision. “It’s a very important advance. The goal for the future is to be less and less invasive in these heart treatments. These images taken before the intervention allow us to know beforehand what are the therapeutic targets – and, by knowing them, we can act directly in those places, in a less invasive ways”, explains Pedro Adragão. Since its opening in 2007, Hospital da Luz Lisboa has had the Stereotaxis cardiac magnetic navigation solution that: uses catheters with high flexibility and low parietal pressure, that allow less radiation exposure and safer navigation than conventional navigation performed manually; greatly reduces the risk of complications, besides matching the success rate of the interventions made with the manual technique. In addition to catheter ablation of arrhythmia, the implant of cardioverter defibrillators, resynchronizers, pacemakers (including cardiac capsules) and event detectors are other procedures also performed at the Centre of Cardiac Rhythm of Hospital da Luz Lisboa.
