Jackson Hospital | Partners | Winter 2019

jackson.org 7 Pulmonary vein isolation A successful first surgery at Jackson Hospital Tamjeed Arshad, MD, recently performed the first pulmonary vein isolation procedure at Jackson Hospital. The procedure was a success, and the patient is responding well. Dr. Arshad is board certified in cardiac electrophysiology—a subspecialty in cardiology that focuses on testing and treating the heart for abnormal rhythms. Pulmonary vein isolation is a procedure used to stop abnor- mal electrical impulses in the heart that cause heart rhythm problems, such as atrial fibrillation. It’s a form of cardiac ablation, which typically works by freezing (cryoablation) the tissue in the heart that triggers the abnormal rhythm. This procedure is used to help improve the quality of life for people living with atrial fibrillation. The procedure, which can take two-and-a-half to four hours to complete, uses small catheters inserted near the groin to send electrical impulses to the heart and monitor the heart’s electrical activity. The catheters are then moved to where the pulmonary veins connect, where the target area will receive freezing to create scar tissue or destroy the tissue causing atrial fibrillation. Dr. Arshad is now seeing patients at The Jackson Clinic. For more information, visit jacksonclinic.org or call his office at 334-264-9191 . for your heart