«In Livorno great progress has been made in the management of cardiac arrhythmias with particular attention to atrial fibrillation». Who speaks is Emilio Marydirector of Cardiology at the Livorno hospital, supported by the doctors Federica Lapiracoordinator of interventional arrhythmology activities, ed Enrica Talinicontact person for day hospital activities and interventional arrhythmologist.
Atrial fibrillation, a silent enemy that strains the heart, will be one of the focuses of the conference “LivornoCuore 2025” starting today. Here, let’s start with the numbers: how many surgeries have been performed recently?
«The Cardiology of Livorno, which has always been a point of reference for patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction thanks to the network of “time-dependent” pathologies for the citizens of Livorno and its province, has for some years also dedicated itself with increasing commitment to the management of patients with cardiac arrhythmias. In the last two years, over 900 interventional procedures have been performed in the Arrhythmology laboratory of Livorno, of which 108 transcatheter ablations with radiofrequency. Among these, 30 patients were successfully treated by ablation of the arrhythmic substrate of atrial fibrillation through isolation of the pulmonary veins in the left atrium.”
What causes this increase in procedures?
«The introduction of new tools, the activation of dedicated clinics and the continuous updating of medical and nursing staff have made it possible to perfect the approach to the treatment of the most common arrhythmias in the general population, with particular attention to atrial fibrillation. In practice, the implementation of this activity responds to the increase in indications for ablative treatment, especially early atrial fibrillation, to the relative growth in the number of eligible patients (in parallel with the increase in average age and life expectancy), as well as the need to reduce waiting lists for these procedures. All this represents added value for our hospital.”
How can we define atrial fibrillation?
«This condition, responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, has an incidence of between 1 and 3 percent in the general population, but increases with age up to 9 percent in people aged 65 and rising up to 17 percent in those aged 80».
Why is the treatment of this arrhythmia so important?
«Atrial fibrillation can cause a reduction in cardiac contractility, with consequent loss of cardiovascular performance, and lead to serious complications if not diagnosed and treated promptly».
What are the symptoms to look out for?
«The clinical picture is extremely variable: it can proceed asymptomatically or manifest itself with palpitations, dyspnea (the so-called “shortness of breath”, ndr), easy fatigability, leading to actual congestive heart failure. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, atrial fibrillation remains a leading cause of ischemic stroke, heart failure and cardiovascular mortality. Furthermore, it may be associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment, depression, reduced quality of life and frequent hospital and emergency room visits.”
So what do we do in Livorno?
«The electrophysiology and cardiac stimulation activity of the Livorno Cardiology department has recorded an exponential increase in recent years, not only in the number of procedures performed, but also in their complexity. In the last five years, thanks to the introduction of the new Siemens angiograph and the three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping system, it has been possible to perfect the implantation of latest generation cardiac devices such as, for example, biventricular and subcutaneous pacemakers and defibrillators, intracardiac pacemakers without catheters and increasingly complex transcatheter ablation procedures”.
How was this result achieved?
«Thanks to the investments of our Company and the commitment of a multidisciplinary team made up of electrophysiological doctors, theater nurses and radiology technicians».
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