Jose Joglar, M.D. Answers Questions On: Irregular Heartbeats (Arrhythmias)

There will be newer technologies for almost all medical conditions. Devices are getting smaller, and eventually they will get smaller still and we’ll be able to do more with them.

Almost all arrhythmias will be able to be treated with minimally invasive procedures, in which we insert wires through the legs into the heart so that we can cauterize the area of the heart that is causing the arrhythmias.

But there will also be new drugs that will be created that will have fewer side effects.

The field has changed dramatically. In the past, we were able only to do simple diagnostic procedures and use old-fashioned drugs. Technology has evolved at an accelerated pace; now we have better tools and better options for even the most complex patients. We have newer drugs, and we expect this will continue to develop in the near future.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find any other field in medicine with this much technology evolving. An implantable cardiac defibrillator is now the size of a pager; it will last for eight years and is programmable with remote monitoring.

The rate of complications is actually lower. Yet, since more and more people are getting implantable devices, a significant number of patients may still develop complications. That’s where our group at UT Southwestern comes in: As device placements become more prevalent, we offer solutions to patients who have or need devices but who also have some other conditions that affect the effectiveness of their devices, such as a blocked blood vessel and other anatomical impediments.

We take great pride in the fact that we always go the extra mile to find solutions for these patients.