| |
|
 |
9/20/2007
Three million Americans are currently diagnosed with some type of tachycardia and are living with the debilitating and frequently life threatening symptoms associated with rapid heartbeat arrhythmias. Now a new electrophysiology lab at Thomas Hospital allows patients to receive complete electrophysiology treatments without travelling out of the area. James A. Storey, M.D., with Cardiology Associates, is the only board certified electrophysiologist in Baldwin County. Until now, his services in Baldwin County have been limited to seeing patients in the office and implanting devices such as defibrillators and pacemakers in the cath lab at Thomas Hospital.
Now that Thomas Hospital has installed the St. Jude’s EnSite mapping system, Dr. Storey is able to perform radio-frequency catheter ablations in Baldwin County. While not a new procedure, it is something that, until now, Baldwin County residents had to go elsewhere to receive. St. Jude’s EnSite mapping system is one of the very latest technological advances currently available for successfully ablating AFIB patients. The mapping system allows the physician to precisely visualize, diagnose and treat heart rhythm problems. The RF catheter ablation is a specialized procedure performed by the electrophysiologist to alleviate abnormal heart rhythms.
Much in the way a cardiologist can study blockages via a catheterization, Dr. Storey can study the heart’s electrical system by inserting a catheter with an electrode at its tip, pinpointing the source of the abnormal heart beat. The theory behind cardiac mapping is that certain types of rhythm disorders, caused by small areas of abnormal heart tissue, interrupt the heart's normal electrical system. To diagnose and treat the rhythm disorder, your doctor has to know exactly where this abnormal tissue is located. The area is then ablated so that it no longer triggers the abnormal heart beat. The RF ablation has a 95% success rate among patients with SVT or supraventricular tachycardia.
Dr. Storey has been very pleased with the recent upgrades. “The staff at Thomas is outstanding and quite experienced in EP,” he says.
If you would like to know more about EP services available in Baldwin County, please visit www.cardassoc.com. To make an appointment with a physician of Cardiology Associates, please call 251-990-9500.
Cardiology Associates is a 27-physician group providing coordinated and integrated comprehensive heart services including pediatric cardiology, adult clinical, invasive and interventional cardiology, preventive cardiology, electrophysiology and the treatment of heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, cholesterol and lipid disorders. In April 2005, the practice introduced the first 64 slice CT Scanner in the region, dedicated to detection of cardiovascular disease. Cardiology Associates is committed to improving access to cardiovascular care, decreasing mortality due to heart disease and enhancing the quality of life for all residents in South Alabama as well as the Mississippi and Florida Gulf Coasts. Cardiology Associates operates offices in Fairhope, Mobile, and Foley, Alabama and outreach clinics in Atmore, Bay Minette, Chatom, Jackson, , and Orange Beach, Alabama, and in Lucedale, Mississippi. For more information about Cardiology Associates, visit our website at www.cardassoc.com or call (251) 990-9500.
|
|
