As we commemorate this year’s World Heart Day, I thought how exciting it is that new technologies and innovations enable us to transform cardiovascular care!

New technologies are transforming the field of cardiology by making it possible to improve heart and circulatory disease treatment and prevention. Scientists and biomedical researchers concentrate on creating smarter medical equipment. Technologies in development include implantable pulse generators, heart prosthetics, genomic analysis, and AI-powered diagnostics.

How does a pulse generator help your heart?

A cardiac pulse generator is a device with a power supply and electronic circuitry that generates output stimuli. Simply said, to stimulate the heart, current from the pacemaker’s battery goes through a connecting pathway before returning to the pacemaker to complete the circuit. Pulse generators can improve heart function, conquer certain malignant arrhythmia conditions, and prevent cardiac arrest.

They are used in the forms of AICD (Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators) or CRT-D (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy [CRT] device).

This is how heart prosthesis can help your heart!

Mechanical and bioprosthetic (also known as tissue) valves are two broad categories of artificial heart valves that are intended to mimic the function of natural valves by ensuring unidirectional blood flow.

Cardiovascular prosthetic devices are implantable or external devices that replace or help the heart, arteries, or veins, among other cardiovascular system components.

TAVI – Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive procedure commonly conducted under local anesthetic. TAVI is used to treat patients ailing with Aortic Stenosis, a form of valvular heart disease that affects the heart valves (failing heart valve).

Recently, I together with my team successfully performed the first-ever TAVI procedure in Sri Lanka, and I’m glad to inform you that the patient has achieved a full and complete recovery.

I fervently urge the Sri Lankan government and those concerned with private-sector healthcare to embrace the TAVI procedure because it is the most effective treatment for individuals suffering from aortic stenosis. The entire world, including our neighboring nation India, is enthusiastically endorsing this procedure.

Latest innovations in Coronary Stent Technology!

Coronary stent technology has quickly advanced and is now a vector for local medication delivery and alteration of the coronary plaque composition & its behavior.

The advent of drug-eluting stents (DES) – The drug-eluting stents stop the growth of new endothelial cells, inhibit cell wall growth, and thereby prevent the re-narrowing of the arteries.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) – During percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), OCT, an intravascular imaging method, uses near-infrared light to provide high-definition, cross-sectional, and three-dimensional pictures of the artery microstructure. It helps to analyze the size of the lumen, plaque load, and composition in detail, which is useful for treatment planning. It also offers information on the architecture of the coronary arteries.

Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) – Your aorta and coronary arteries (the blood vessels that carry blood to your heart) can be seen in amazing detail thanks to IVUS. Compared to coronary angiography, the examination provides a more accurate picture of your artery walls, including any accumulation of fat deposits (plaque). IVUS can visualize the complete arterial wall and provide more information regarding plaque buildup than angiography.

What role does nanotechnology play in the detection and management of atherosclerosis or the accumulation of plaque in arteries?

Through signal amplification and sensitivity augmentation employing magnetic and other physicochemical features, nanomaterials have an advantage in the detection of CVD-related molecular and cellular biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and troponins.

Increasing systemic agent circulation time, lowering off-target cytotoxicity of drugs, improving drug solubility, lowering dosage requirements, combining diagnostic and therapeutic agents to form theranostics, and increasing agent accumulation are all possible uses of nanotechnology in atherosclerosis treatments.

Genomic analysis to your heart’s aid!

You can utilize genetic testing to determine whether a change in one or more of your genes could cause a hereditary cardiac issue. Patients can use genetic sequencing to find out if they have a genetic mutation that is highly related to a heart ailment, like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Cardiology therapies are made better with the help of artificial intelligence!

AI can be used for a variety of purposes, including the faster diagnosis and treatment of strokes and the improvement of diagnostic radiology. AI approaches are used as a novel screening method for patients who have a certain kind of heart condition that doesn’t manifest any outward signs.

A brighter, healthier, and heart-filling future awaits us.

As an interventional cardiologist, it is very reassuring and fulfilling to observe technological advancements in the field of heart care, which will benefit all of humanity. The development of medical devices for diagnosing illness and operating on the patient in question can significantly lower death rates. Over time, fewer heart operations may be necessary thanks to the early diagnosis of cardiac problems. Better treatment options for heart patients will be made available through advanced diagnostics, technologically driven non-surgical and surgical treatments, high-tech healthcare delivery systems, digital patient monitoring and follow-up procedures, super-fast effective communications, and clinical research.

As a nation, we need to up the ante!

In comparison to India, I’m a little disheartened to say that we are lagging in adopting new technological advancements that support healthcare systems. 

Particularly as a nation with much to offer and abundant natural and human resources, we should be able to improve our healthcare systems to serve the people of the nation and to encourage health tourism, which is an excellent approach to draw visitors to our island.

I invite the corporate sector to be proactive about taking a greater lead in promoting and driving the adoption of new technical breakthroughs that can be advantageous to the nation, its citizens, and tourism.

Yes, it can boost revenue while also supporting and improving our healthcare system.

About this year’s World Heart Day Celebration!

World Heart Day serves as a reminder for everyone to take good care of their hearts. The theme of this year’s campaign is the essential step of first knowing our hearts.

BECAUSE WE LOVE AND PROTECT ONLY WHAT WE KNOW

Let’s take better control of our heart’s well-being.

BECAUSE WHEN WE KNOW MORE, WE CAN TAKE BETTER CARE. USE ❤ KNOW ❤