Today I’m speaking with Dr. Nitesh Sood, an electrophysiologist who is board-certified in internal medicine and holds certifications in echocardiography, nuclear medicine, and cardiovascular disease.  Dr. Sood is currently the Director of the Atrial Fibrillation Wellness Program at Southcoast Physicians Group in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

Dr. Sood was selected as “Star Fellow” “Fellow Elite in Training” 2012 by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and also “Young Investigator of the year” 2012. Dr. Sood has a special interest in treating patients with atrial fibrillation, syncope, and implantation of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

Sood was the first electrophysiologist to utilize pulse-field ablation and has now completed 33 procedures using PFA for atrial fibrillation, more than any other physician in the world at this point.  Join us for a discussion on the use of pulse-field ablation, and its many advantages over cryo or radiofrequency ablation.

Discussion points:

Introduction and background – Dr. Nitesh Sood

Why PFA and how has cryo ablation progressed over time

PFA is very young, has only existed for about 20 years

Apoptosis vs. necrosis in ablation procedures

What structures may be at risk when performing ablation

Animal studies have shown that PFA causes minimal damage in many at-risk areas

PFA has potential for temporary nano-pores that can be useful for delivering medicine such as those used for cancer treatment

MRI data shows incredible cell recovery 3 mos. After PFA, vs. radiofrequency ablation

The length of time needed for PFA is much shorter than cryo or radio, thus minimizing risks of time under anesthesia

The learning curve for PFA is around 4-5 cases

Other uses and some minimal risks of PFA

Afib is on the increase, partly due to more monitoring and tests being available

Afib can easily be monitored by patients themselves, with things like Fitbit and Apple watches, to help doctors treat them more effectively

Take a look at our website ClubAfib.com to find out more and track your own Afib– give us your feedback!

Resources:

Dr. Nitesh Sood at Southcoast Physicians Group

Dr. Nitesh Sood LinkedIn

ClubAfib.com Website

Dr. Kiankhooy LinkedIn

All Things AFib Website

All Things AFib Twitter

All Things AFib YouTube Channel