Development of Pacing, Electrophysiology and Defibrillation in India

• Main Authors: Mohan Nair, Johnson Francis, Venugopal K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2002-04-01
• Series: Indian Pacing and Electrophysiology Journal
• Subjects: history; cardiac pacing; implantable defibrillator; atrial fibrillation; surgical radiofrequency ablation
• Online Access: http://www.ipej.org/0202/nair.htm

History of cardiac pacing in India dates back to late 1960s. Kar1 reported that cardiac pacing was introduced in India in 1966. Basu2 while discussing on cardiac pacemaking in Calcutta, mentions that the first pacing was performed in April 1967 at the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGME&R). Bhatia et al3 started pacemaker implantation at AIIMS, New Delhi in 1968. Their first patient was a doctor from Assam and the pulse generator was supplied by Medtronic Inc. The pulse generator was powered by a mercury-iodide battery which lasted for about 2 ½ years, after which the patient underwent pulse generator replacement. Unfortunately he succumbed to miliary tuberculosis about a year after that. Currently around 8000 pacemakers are being implanted annually in India, in various centers around the country. G.B. Pant Hospital New Delhi has been the pioneering center in the field of Invasive Cardiac Electrophysiology in the country. Bhatia M.L et al9 and Khalilullah M et al 10,11,12,13 were the pioneers in His bundle electrography in the country. Prof. K.K. Sethi was the first to perform catheter ablation in the country. Direct Current ablation was started in 1988 followed by Radio Frequency (RF) ablation later on. The number of centres having electrophysiology setup in the country has increased from about 10 in 1997 to around 30 in 2001 (Fig 4). The number of RF ablations being performed in the country has gone up from 800 to 2000 during the same period. Newer insights in the field of atrial fibrillation in rheumatic heart disease have been obtained by electrophysiological studies from the country. Atrial disease due to rheumatic carditis is an important parameter, in addition to valvular involvement in the genesis of atrial fibrillation. Multiple substrates for atrial fibrillation are present in these cases, namely: stretch, fibrosis, raised pressures, increased atrial size and increased anisotropy. Atrial fibrillation in rheumatic heart disease is generally of long duration and affects a younger population. Control of Rate versus Rhythm in Rheumatic Atrial Fibrillation Trial -CRRAFT conducted at Mumbai has documented the effectiveness of amiodarone in the treatment of rheumatic atrial fibrillation. Surgical RF pulmonary vein isolation using Thermaline Multi-Electrode Catheter [EP Technologies] has been done in 27 patients with rheumatic atrial fibrillation of more than one year duration. Lesions were as follows: bilateral pulmonary vein isolation, isolation of the left atrial appendage and connection lesion between left atrial appendage and pulmonary veins.Prof. K.K. Talwar, AIIMS, New Delhi and Dr. T.S. Kler, Escorts Heart Institute & Research Centre, New Delhi were the first to implant Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD) in India. Current annual ICD implantation rates stand at 60 per year.