New cardiac treatment is a boost for Lancashire residents

Dr Khalid Abozguia and Dr Shajil Chalil.

HEART patients from across the county are being offered another ground breaking treatment by experts Dr Shajil Chalil and Dr Khalid Abozguia, Consultant Cardiologists and Cardiac Electrophysiologists, at the Lancashire Cardiac Centre.

Patients who have atrial fibrillation, otherwise known as abnormal heart rhythms, are now able to access a technique called cryoblation which restores normal heart rhythms by disabling the heart cells that create an irregular heartbeat.

Recent studies have found cryoablation to be significantly more effective than medication, and patients generally experience less pain than with radiofrequency ablation.

During this minimally invasive procedure, a thin flexible tube called a balloon catheter is used to locate and freeze the heart tissue that triggers an irregular heartbeat.

Drs Shajil Chalil and Dr Khalid Abozguia said: “We have bought in yet another cutting edge technique in relation to atrial fibrillation which is the most common heart rhythm problem that we see.

“We already provide a comprehensive service using techniques like radio frequency and laser and we have now brought in cryo technology which is where you freeze the veins rather than burn them to do the treatment.

“It is a technique that has been available in other areas and we wanted to make sure that the our local population benefited from too.

“There are several ways of treating the condition and there is very little to choose between them but the advantage of this procedure is that it is quicker.

This means that it is more efficient too and we can treat more patients for this growing condition, reducing the waiting times.

“This is a growing area of surgery and we wanted to make sure that the Lancashire Cardiac Centre was among those offering this specialist service to our patients.’’

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