Page 17 - February 2017

Cardiology

Nicklaus Children’s Becomes First

Pediatric Facility in Southeast –

and Second in the World

– to Use GPS-Like T echnology

During Cardiac Procedures

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is the sec- pre-recorded images to compensate
ond pediatric facility in the world to use for changing heart rhythms, breath-
new medical technology in cardiac pro- ing and patient movement. By allow-
cedures that is similar to global position- ing the physician to track devices on used to aid a Why reducing fluoroscopy
ing systems (GPS) that motorists use to pre-recorded fluoroscopy, MediGuide physician in navi- is important
determine their vehicles’ locations on a technology can help avoid additional gating delivery The current standard practice for view-
map. The new equipment is part of the fluoroscopy throughout the proce- tools and cathe ters ing devices in the heart uses continuous,
hospital’s new state-of-the-art cardiac dure, which in turn significantly in the cardiac live fluoroscopy, which is a rapid series
catheterization lab, in which minimally reduces radiation exposure. anatomy during of X-ray images taken throughout the
invasive catheter-based procedures are “The longstanding commitment of implantable device course of the procedure. Worldwide,
performed to treat and evaluate children The Heart Program at Nicklaus procedures, such physicians perform several billion of
with congenital heart defects. Children’s is to minimize the cumu- Dr. John Rhodes as cardiac resyn- these radiation-based imaging proce-
The MediGuide™ Technology allows lative impact on the children in our chronization ther- dures annually and approximately one-
physicians to see the precise location of care,” said Dr. John Rhodes, medical apy (CRT) cases, which helps restore a third occur in cardiovascular patients.
specially designed delivery tools and director of cardiology. “The MediGuide patient’s heart rhythm back to normal While the benefits of imaging provided
catheters enabled with miniature sensors Technology supports us in this effort by and protects against sudden cardiac by fluoroscopy are important, studies
to navigate within the heart. Using a low- reducing exposure to radiation during death for CRT device patients. show that the ionizing radiation from
powered electromagnetic field, the sys- procedures and enhancing patient safety. MediGuide technology can also be used repeated exposure to fluoroscopy over
tem enables physicians to see in real- It reflects our commitment to investing in ablation procedures where radiofre- time may compromise a person’s
time, a three-dimensional (3-D) image of in the latest technology to ensure the quency (RF) energy is delivered to cor- immune system, elevate the risk of devel-
these tools on pre-recorded fluoroscopy best possible outcomes and safest prac- rect an arrhythmia (or irregular heart oping cancer, or present other health
(a rapid series of X-ray images). tices for the children we serve.” beat). hazards.
Automatic adjustments are made to the The MediGuide technology may be

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com February 2017 17