In a first, TRIHMS successfully implants CRT-D

[Bengia Ajum]

NAHARLAGUN, 17 Jan: A 29-year-old female from Lower Dibang Valley district with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCMP) severe left ventricular dysfunction underwent successful implantation of CRT-D (Cardiac Resynchronisation Defibrillator) therapy in cath lab of department of cardiology here at TRIHMS.

The patient’s complete left bundle branch block was not fully responding to optimum guideline directed medical therapy when she was brought to the hospital. This is the first time an operation to implement CRT-D has been performed in TRIHMS. The operation was performed on 8 Jan. The patient has been discharged from the hospital.

Even though more than 70 pacemakers have been implanted in TRIHMS, this is the first time that CRT-D has been implanted on a patient at TRIHMS.

A team of doctors, which included cardiologists Dr. RD Megeji, Dr. Tony Ete, Cath lab technicians Nilutpal Goswami, Margo Bagra, Mukhtarul Ali and nurses were part of the team that performed the operation.

The CRT-D is a special pacemaker and very few hospitals in the country perform surgeries for it’s implantation. The implantation helps to restore synchronisation of both the ventricles of the heart which is lost in certain subset of patients with chronic heart failure and they succumb to heart failure.

The successful implantation of CRT-D improves quality of life and decreases mortality. Also the defibrillator component prevents cardiac arrest.

The department of cardiology, TRIHMS has performed more than three hundred cardiac interventional procedures since cath lab was installed in August 2023 and more than 200 patients have availed dedicated ICCU (Intensive Coronary Care Unit) services since its inception in September 2023. The procedures such as coronary angiography, coronary angioplasty, renal angioplasty, congenital heart disease device closures, pacemakers (temporary and permanent), AICD etc. are performed routinely in the department.