2019 was a year of progress, innovation and success stories for Arkansas Heart Hospital’s Heart Rhythm Institute, cementing it as one of the premier electrophysiology departments in the country, staffed by some of the best electrophysiologists.
The department is led by medical director Scott Beau, MD, Monica Lo, MD, Sudarone Thihalolipavan, MD, and Wilson Wong, MD.
Arkansas Heart Hospital is one of the top centers in the country in terms of volume and outcomes. 2019 featured an expansion that added a third electrophysiology lab as well as continued advancement of several of our programs, including our atrial fibrillation program and left atrial appendage closure program.
We were the first hospital in the U.S. and second in the world to test an innovative heart catheter that minimizes the risk of injury, which helped lead to its FDA approval.
For Dr. Thihalolipavan, 2019 brought more complex cases and a huge personal accomplishment — the performance of around 300 successful cases without using fluoroscopy. Fluoroless cases are faster and much safer for both the physician and the patient because they are not exposed to radiation during the procedure. Currently, about 90% of these cases at Arkansas Heart Hospital are performed without fluoroscopy.
In 2019 Dr. Wong celebrated 35 years as a physician and 18 years at Arkansas Heart Hospital. The leadless pacemaker and subcutaneous defibrillator were highlights of his year. The leadless pacemaker offers an alternative to traditional pacemakers.
The future of electrophysiology at Arkansas Heart Hospital is extremely exciting and the team looks forward to even greater advances in 2020.
Learn more about our Heart Rhythm Institute and our team of electrophysiologists. For insights in how to keep your heart healthy, check out our heart healthy tips.