Severance Hospital Surpasses 25,000 Cases of Cumulative Arrhythmia Treatment

The medical staff at Severance Cardiovascular Hospital's Arrhythmia Center are celebrating surpassing 25,000 arrhythmia procedures.
[Photo by Yonsei Medical Center]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Kwan-joo] Severance Cardiovascular Hospital announced on the 5th that it has surpassed 25,000 cumulative arrhythmia treatments. This is the highest number of arrhythmia treatments among hospitals in South Korea.

Since official records began in 1986, there have been approximately 19,500 cases of catheter ablation for arrhythmia treatment and about 5,900 cases of 'implantation of cardiac implantable electronic devices' such as pacemakers.

Among nationwide catheter ablations, atrial fibrillation catheter ablation accounted for about 5,600 cases, and among cardiac implantable electronic device implantations, defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapy device implantations numbered around 1,900. The recently notable conduction system pacing pacemaker implantation procedure has recorded about 180 cases, the highest cumulative number in the country.

The Arrhythmia Center at Severance Cardiovascular Hospital has led the field of arrhythmia treatment in South Korea. In 1969, it performed the first pacemaker implantation procedure for patients with bradycardia, marking the start of arrhythmia treatment in the country. In 1986, it was the first in South Korea to introduce electrophysiological studies to precisely locate arrhythmia origins and catheter ablation using radiofrequency energy to treat abnormal cardiac electrical signals.

The arrhythmia procedure room, cardiac function testing room, outpatient, and inpatient care teams collaboratively provide comprehensive treatment throughout the entire patient care cycle, from diagnosis to post-procedure management. Additionally, based on extensive treatment experience and research achievements in arrhythmia, the center educates and trains numerous domestic arrhythmia specialists and actively conducts training programs for overseas medical professionals.

Information Young, head of the arrhythmia procedure room, stated, "Severance Cardiovascular Hospital has led the field of arrhythmia treatment in South Korea. Moving forward, we will focus on developing the latest treatments for intractable arrhythmias as well as research aimed at improving patients' quality of life through preventive treatments, striving to establish ourselves as a world-class arrhythmia center."