New procedure for cardiac arrhythmias

For the first time in Germany: Heart Center of the UMG uses new procedure for cardiac arrhythmias.

The Optrell mapping catheter, which allows precise imaging of the heart, was used for the first time in Germany at the Heart Center of the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). The catheter measures the electrical activity and structure of the heart while it is in place and creates a kind of “map”. The areas in the heart that cause problems can thus be identified and patients with complex cardiac arrhythmias can be treated more quickly and efficiently.

According to the German Heart Foundation, around 400,000 people in Germany are admitted to hospital every year due to cardiac arrhythmia. Cardiac arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals that control the heartbeat are irregular, too fast or too slow. This can be caused by malfunctions of the heart, blockages in signal transmission or additional conduction pathways in the heart. In many patients, the cardiac arrhythmia can be treated well, as it is only caused by a simple mechanism and can be treated in a targeted manner. In some patients, however, the disorders are more complex because several problems are present at the same time or the electrical signals are disturbed at different points in the heart. With these cardiac arrhythmias, it is particularly difficult to find and treat the exact sites of origin. These include some forms of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, in which three or more consecutive additional heartbeats occur at a rate of more than one hundred beats per minute.

The Optrell mapping catheter. (c) umg/hzg, Eva Meyer-Besting

In order to be able to treat patients with complex cardiac arrhythmias more quickly and efficiently, the innovative Optrell mapping catheter was approved in Europe at the end of August 2024 – and was used for the first time in Germany at the beginning of September at the Heart Center of the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) by a team led by Dr. Leonard Bergau, Deputy Head of the Clinical Electrophysiology Unit and Senior Physician in the Department of Cardiology and Pneumology at the UMG. In what is known as “mapping”, a special instrument – the mapping catheter – is pushed through the patient’s groin to the heart in order to measure and visualize the electrical activity and structure of the heart. “The resulting ‘map’ of the heart enables us to identify the areas that cause problems and to better position the electrode catheters for sclerotherapy in the beating heart,” says Dr. Bergau. “The Optrell mapping catheter uses innovative technology to map the electrical system of the heart in high resolution. It is therefore significantly more accurate than previously used methods.”

The new catheter uses highly sensitive electrodes that are in direct contact with the inner wall of the heart during the examination and record the electrical activity in real time. In addition, technology is used to improve signal quality, which reduces noise and measurement errors to ensure a more detailed representation of the electrical pathways in the heart tissue.

“For many of our patients with complex cardiac arrhythmias, this means a better chance of successful treatment, fewer interventions and ultimately a higher quality of life,” says Prof. Dr. Gerd Hasenfuß, Director of the Department of Cardiology and Pneumology and Chairman of the UMG Heart Center. “We are delighted that our Heart Center is the first in Germany to be able to offer this procedure.”

Wissenschaftliche Ansprechpartner:

University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August-University
Clinic for Cardiology and Pneumology
Dr. Leonard Bergau
Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075 Göttingen
Phone +49 551 / 39- 62983
herzzentrum@med.uni-goettingen.de
herzzentrum.umg.eu