Good News For Heart Patients At GJPMC
By Azaraimy

Bandar Seri Begawan - Gleneagles JPMC has chalked up a number of successes in sophisticated cardiac treatments using EP analyser and a multi-million dollar advanced bi-plane angiography system.

In a media briefing yesterday, Gleneagles JPMC, which is the only stand alone Cardiac Centre in Borneo, claimed to be the first and only medical centre here to have the advanced bi-plane angiography system.

GJPMC said that with the addition of the biplane angiography system to their Catheterisation Laboratory, patients do not have to go overseas to get advanced treatments on non-surgical closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA).

The Electrophysiological Study and Radio Frequency Catheter Ablation, used to treat electrical disorder of the heart, is now possible with the bi-plane and EP analyser. Gleneagles JPMC said with the arrival of the equipment, GJPMC will also introduce these treatments for paediatric cases in the coming months.

Speaking on PDA treatment, Dr Patrick Ang C H, Director of Invasive Cardiac Laboratory and Co-Medical Director cum Head of Cardiology and Consultant Cardiologist & Physician, said the nonsurgical closure of PDA is necessary when the ductus arteriosus (DA) - a blood vessel communicating between the lung and the aorta, which is important during the foetus growth as it serves to divert blood away from the lungs but is not actively in use yet - fails to completely close after birth.

PDA in patients cause unnecessary shunting of blood and can result in a heart murmur, failure to grow, poor feeding, heart failure and lung congestion. Previously, PDAs can only be closed by surgical open chest method. With the advancement of technology, PDAs can now safely be closed nonsurgically.

These procedures require only a small puncture and the devise can then be delivered to the PDA site by special catheters. GJPMC said there is no need for general anaesthesia and the patients can be discharged the next day.

On February 7, GJPMC successfully closed large PDAs non-surgically on its first two young patients in Brunei Darussalam using the Amplatzer duct occuders.

The patients were able to walk on the same day and were discharged the next day.

For the Electrophysiological Study and Radio Frequency Catherer Ablation, the treatment is basically to normalise heart rhythm, said Dr Teo Wee Sion, a visiting Electrophysiologist to GJPMC.

Speaking on the treatment, Dr Teo said the primary function of the heart is to supply blood and nutrients to the body. The regular beating, or contraction, of the heart moves the blood throughout the body. Each heartbeat is controlled

by electrical impulses travelling through the heart. In normal hearts these electrical impulses occur in regular intervals. When something goes wrong with the heart's electrical system, the heart does not beat regularly, resulting in a rhythm disorder known as "Arrhythmias".

Dr Teo said it is now possible to bring back or repair the electrical circuit system using RF Catherer Ablation.

Dr Hj Nazar Luqman, a consultant cardiologist at RIPAS Hospital, said, before the RF Catherer Ablation is performed, it is necessary to have the heart electrical system studied first. This is called Electrophysiological Study. He said this is much like sending an electrician to find out where the electrical fault is in a house.

The Electrophysiological Study is basically the mapping of the heart electrical system, he added.

He said with the introduction of the bi-plane angiography system and the EP analyser at GJMPS, it is now possible to perform this specialised cardiac treatment for the first time in Brunei Darussalam.

Dr Teo and Dr Hj Nazar together with surgeons, anaesthetists, cardiac technicians and nurses performed this procedure on four patients on February 10 and 11, this year for the first time in Brunei. All patients have been cured of their problems and are doing well.

According to GJPMC General Manager, Mr Lee Cheow Seng, these procedures will be performed regularly in Brunei and will save patients with this problem the need to travel abroad for the treatment. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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