Longview Regional Medical Center’s renowned interventional cardiologist Dr. Raveej Singh is the first doctor in East Texas to implement the newly developed FDA approved implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) which utilizes technologically advanced batteries and circuitry making for the smallest (and hence least invasive) footprint in the field of heart care. The implant is also easily rechargeable, and its small size does not include any decrease in durability or power.
The new Fortify ICD packs 40J of energy, which is the highest power store of any currently available ICD. Such a strong energy reserve is especially helpful for patients who have enlarged hearts, low ejection-fraction, advanced heart failure or have a high defibrillation threshold, which means they need a great deal of electricity to shock their ailing hearts back to a normal rhythm in case of failure or heart attack.
Singh has successfully implanted in his patients the Fortify VR, which was developed by St. Jude Medical and provides a sophisticated sensing technology and anti-tachycardia pacing designed to painlessly convert rapid ventricular arrhythmias back to a normal heartbeat, and to do so without a significant, risky delay in the needed therapy for the rhythms that require it. The device also cuts back on any unneeded or incorrect defibrillation therapy while simultaneously insuring the patient receives appropriate, effective therapy when needed. Singh is upbeat on the futures of both the implant and its users.
“The smaller shape combined with the SJ4 connecter system streamlines the implant procedure and can make the implant more comfortable for my patients,” he said. “The device offers a number of new features while still delivering reliability and durability for my patients.”
Because the Fortify ICD has such a streamlined shape it requires only a small incision, making for a more efficient surgical procedure and smaller scar. The SJ4 lead connecter system additionally simplifies the surgery through its small number of set screws and connections linking the defibrillation lead and the actual device. The smaller amount of wires in a patient’s chest makes for increased comfort.
The Fortify ICD implants are a new technology in the treatment for dangerously rapid heartbeats (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation) which cause the sudden cardiac death (SCD) that presently kills approximately 325,000 people yearly in this country.
About Longview Regional Medical Center:
The staff of LRMC is dedicated to improving the health and quality of life for those living in East Texas. It is the only Longview hospital which provides daVinci robotic surgery, Stryker joint replacements, HALO procedures for treatment of damage to Barrett’s esophagus, and Bariatric surgery for weight loss. The hospital’s Vein Center is the city’s only source for vein treatment exclusively performed by internationally trained and selected cardiologists. It has won the award “Best Vein Care Partner in Excellence.”
LRMC is the first Longview facility to earn the status of Joint Commission Accredited Advanced Primary Level II Stroke Facility in Trauma Services. It has singled out the local population’s most significant needs and has developed to best meet these needs. The Texas Department of State Health Services recognized LRMC for its commitment to and preparations for stroke treatment and for taking the lead in advancing our state’s overall advancement in stroke therapy and prevention.
The hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute’s third cath lab includes one of the biggest review screens of any such facility. The lab is also set up for local, national and international conferencing which pools medical know-how for the benefit of Longview’s residents and the training of medical students. Longview Regional is one of just 20 American teaching hospitals where doctors and trainees can study the latest procedures for treating peripheral artery disease, which saves not only lives, but limbs. Three of the nation’s best cardiologists share this knowledge with East Texas’ physicians and students.
