One Hamburg heart center has risen to prominence for its use of new technology to treat an irregular heartbeat: the Cardio Clinic at Asklepios St. Georg was one of the earliest hospitals to adopt cryoablation, and is now one of the largest and most experienced clinics offering this treatment worldwide.

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An internationally-renowned heart center

The Cardio Clinic at Asklepios St. Georg is an internationally-renowned heart center with some of Germany’s top heart surgeons. The Cardio Clinic first started using Cryo-Balloon technology in cryoablation to treat atrial fibrillation 10 years ago, shortly after the device’s approval in Europe. The clinic now performs about 300 of these procedures annually, making it one of the largest and most experienced centers worldwide for cardiac cryoablation.

European heart specialists more experienced than U.S.

Cryoablation is still considered a new procedure and is not available everywhere. The FDA did approve the technology for use in the U.S. until several years after the devices was introduced in Europe. At that moment cryoablation had already been in use in Europe, meaning European hospitals have had more time to familiarize themselves with the technology and gain experience performing the procedure.

Using ablation to treat arrhythmia

Cardiac cryoablation as performed at Asklepios St. Georg is a minimally-invasive procedure performed via catheter in which the operating surgeon uses extreme cold to create scar tissue on the inside of the heart. The electrical signals which control the beating of the heart cannot travel through scar tissue, so by creating small rings of scar tissue around places in the heart where the irregular impulses originate, it can return an irregular heartbeat to normal. Clinical outcome data has shown cryoablation to be especially effective in treating arrhythmias located in the atria of the heart.

Minimally-invasive and low-risk

Compared to other treatments, cryoablation is particularly beneficial for its relatively short procedure times, its excellent safety profile and low rates of complications. The procedure usually requires a four-day hospital stay, including preliminary and follow-up exams.

Because it is minimally invasive, cryoablation can also be performed on patients who would not be eligible for open heart surgery, such as elderly patients or patients with co-morbidities. And in cases where a Cryo-Balloon ablation procedure is not possible or not effective, cardiologists can easily switch to a different type of ablation during the same procedure, making sure the patient gets the treatment they need.

The Cardio Clinic at Asklepios St. Georg has extensive experience working with international patients. To get in contact with a German heart specialist such as those at Asklepios St. Georg, contact Premier Healthcare.