Dr. Pubbi talks AFib at Memorial Hospital

Dr. Pubbi talks AFib at Memorial Hospital.

Recently Dr. Dinesh Pubbi was invited to give a talk at Memorial Hospital here in Jacksonville about the effects of Atrial Fibrillation. Atrial Fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia. Dr. Pubbi discussed treatment options, including the Watchman implant device procedure that he performs at Memorial Hospital, to reduce the risk of stroke.

Dr. Pubbi Discusses Atrial Fibrillation

Dr. Dinesh Pubbi was recently featured on First Coast Living and discussed Atrial Fibrillation also known as AFib.

What is atrial fibrillation?

• Also called AFib.
• Most common arrhythmia in USA and world wide.
• 5 to 6.5 million now. By 2050 eight million will be effected.
• Irregular heart beat from upper chamber of heart.

2- What are the signs/symptoms? What Do People Feel?

• Some people may complain of palpitations shortness of breath, chest pain, racing heart.
• Flip flops in heart fluttering or flopping.
• Fatigue and tiredness.
• 30% may not have any symptoms at all.

3- Are women more likely than men to have irregular heart beats? What about Race; are Afro Americans more likely than the white population to suffer from irregular heart beats?

• Women tend to develop atrial fibrillation at an older age then men; 4 years older.
• Risk of death higher in women with AFib.
• Women need to see electrophysiologist sooner.
• Caucasians have higher prevalence of AFib.

4-Is atrial fibrillation associated with stroke or heart attack risk?

• AFib is the leading cause of stroke.
• Risk of stroke five times higher than normal population.
• Up to 80%of strokes in people with AFib can be prevented.

5 -How is AFib treated?

• Depends on how long you have it.
• Three kinds of AFib – paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent.
• Reset the rhythm.
• Prevent blood clots from forming.
• Coumadin and the new agents.

6-Can a person be cured of AFib? Can it go away?

• Antiaarrhythmic medications, cardio version.
• Ablation can be a cure for some patients.
• Catheter ablations minimal invasive.
• Can use heat Radiofrequency energy or freeze cryotherapy.
  • Used to treat hot spots or abnormal cells.
  • This corrects the arrhythmia without the need of medication or implantable device.
• Need to see Electrophysiology doctor.

Dr. Neil Sanghvi Discusses Women and Heart Disease

Cardiologist, Dr. Neil Sanghvi discusses Women and Heart Disease at the WJCT studio Lunch & Learn community heart education. The title of his talk was “What does your sex have to do with it? How to keep your heart ticking.”

Dr. Sanghvi discussed the facts, symptoms and treatment of irregular heart rhythms as well as the differences between women and men when it comes to heart care.

Did you know that heart failure is more common in women than men, yet women receive treatment two times less often than men.

Dr. Neil Sanghvi interviewed on First Coast Living

Dr. Sanghvi was interviewed on First Coast Living and discussed the topics of Atrial Fibrillation, Pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Devices. Dr. Sanghvi is an Electrophysiologist Cardiologist with First Coast Heart & Vascualr Center.

1. What is a pacemaker and why would someone need one?   Pacemakers are devices that are about the size of a silver dollar.  They are placed under the skin usually below the collar bone.  They typically have anywhere from 1-3 wires that enter the heart via a blood vessel under the collar bone.  These devices are usually placed in patients who suffer from a slow heart beat which results in a number of symptoms including fatigue, shortness of breath, inability to exercise, lightheadedness, or fainting to name a few.
2. What is a defibrillator, also known as an ICD, and why would someone need one of these devices?  ICDs are implantable devices that are placed in similar fashion as a pacemaker.  However, an ICD’s job is typically to treat fast and lethal irregular beats known as ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF).  Many people know that heart disease is the #1 killer in the US.  What many do not know is that the reason most patients die is due to untreated VT or VF.  Approximately 450,000 people die each year in the US from these arrhythmias.  Patients at the highest risk include those who have had a prior heart attack, especially if this has resulted in a weakened heart muscle.  Those with a weak heart muscle for other reasons are also at risk.  Also, patients who may have had several episodes of passing out without an explanation should be evaluated since a small portion of these patients are likely suffering from VT and/or VF.
3. If a patient needs to have a device implanted, what type of device should be used?  This is a decision that is typically made by the implanting surgeon.  There are several manufacturers of devices in the US.  Many of the devices have similar features.  However, there are some distinct differences.
4. What happens if there is a problem with one of the wires or if one device type needs to be changed to another?  Sometimes these devices may have a wire malfunction or one of the wires may be recalled due to a suspected risk of malfunction.  Many surgeons often place a new wire in the heart and leave the old wire abandoned there since they are not capable of taking out the old wire.  Unfortunately, this increases the risk of infections and for blood vessels to clot since there is more hardware in the body.  Patients should seek out surgeons that specialize in lead extractions.  Dr. Neil Sanghvi is able to utilize a laser to carefully and safely tease out the old lead that has scarred into the heart.  The risk of a major complication is often less than 1-2% in many cases.  The advantage is that it allows for less hardware to remain in the body which decreases the risks of infection and blood vessel clotting.

Cardiology Care that Goes the Extra Mile

Cardiology Care that Goes the Extra Mile

Yesterday one of our patients came to see Dr. Dinesh Pubbi to have her pacemaker checked. Unfortunately the patient was unable to get out of the car and into our building. Dr. Pubbi with the help from several of our staff and one of our Boston Scientific reps – Jamie Kirkley, took our equipment out to the patient in her car. Talk about curb service! Thanks everyone for going the extra mile!

We are pleased to announce the addition of Neil Sanghvi MD, FACC, FHRS

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Neil Sanghvi has joined First Coast Heart & Vascular Center. Dr. Sanghvi has been recognized as a leader in the field of clinical electrophysiology and is honored to carry the distinction of being a Fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society as well as a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. His current interests include improving techniques in atrial fibrillation ablation, minimally invasive closure of the left atrial appendage for stroke prevention, and management of congestive heart failure with biventricular devices. Dr. Sanghvi actively participates in national clinical research trials and has authored several papers on the topic of arrhythmia management.

“I believe that each patient deserves attention, compassion, respect, and the opportunity to understand their particular ailment. I strive to provide personalized care and take pride in being able to clearly communicate with my patients. My reward is seeing a patient
successfully and safely complete a procedure and witness the often immediate improvement in their quality of life.”

Dr. Sanghvi began his interested with medicine early in high-school. He was accepted and attended the prestigious 7-year medical program at Boston University. From there, he returned to his home state of New Jersey where he completed medical school at Rutgers- New Jersey Medical School. Dr. Sanghvi found that he missed Boston, so he returned to Boston University for his Internal Medicine Residency. He then travelled to Washington,D.C. to participate in the George Washington University Cardiology Fellowship Program. He completed his Electrophysiology training at the prestigious Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Sanghvi practiced for 5 -years in New York City before arriving to Florida. He was instrumental in expanding the complex ablation program at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan.

Common disorders that Dr. Sanghvi manages include atrial fibrillation, SVT,ventricular tachycardia, syncope (passing out), palpitations, pacemakers, and ICDs (defibrillators).

We are happy to have Dr. Sanghvi on our team