Dr. Ali Al-Mudamgha is the Director of Electrophysiology at St. Joseph’s Health. Last month, he achieved a breakthrough by successfully implanting external defibrillators in two patients.
“It’s always exciting to be at the front of the line if you want to have a procedure done. Things are always changing in our field, so we’re always looking to get new technology. It’s an honor, but to be honest, it went very well,” said Dr. Al Mudamga.
Sarah Kennedy was the first patient of this new innovation and one of the first in the Northeast.
“My heart problems started about 15 years ago when I gave birth to my daughter. She is my third child and after giving birth, I had problems recovering from pregnancy. Getting my health back I couldn’t do that,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy has dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood properly.
“Her heart muscle is weak, so she’s at risk for cardiac arrest. Once a patient reaches a critical condition, we provide a defibrillator. A typical defibrillator includes a collarbone It has wires that go into the bloodstream under the heart,” Dr. Al Mudamga said.
But Dr Al Mudamga says the wires can cause problems.
“Wires in your bloodstream can break or become infected, and when you have to deal with that, you’re in trouble. This system does exactly the same thing as traditional systems. We provide it, but the wire doesn’t have to be in the bloodstream.’The bloodstream,” Dr. Al Mudamga said.
This new minimally invasive approach places a wire under the breastbone without blood flow. Defibrillators contain pacemakers, which prevent the heart from slowing down and deliver a shock to save the patient from life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances.
“The device is set up to alert us when the device is activated, so our office receives an alert that the patient’s defibrillator was activated on such-and-such a day. , it will show you what the device actually saw and why it was “fired,” Dr. Al Mudamga said.
Since undergoing the surgery in early January, Kennedy says she feels more secure.
“This device has really given me a new lease of life. It also gives me peace of mind that I can continue my day-to-day operations and have a backup in case I need it.” Kennedy said Mr.
