Georgia Heart Institute, the comprehensive heart and vascular service line of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS), recently welcomed three specialized cardiologists to its growing electrophysiology program: Gautham Kanagaraj, MD; Murtaza Sundhu, MD; and Brian Vickers, MD. Gautham Kanagaraj, MD, sees patients in Braselton and Gainesville. His main clinical interests ... Continue Reading
Georgia Heart Institute Welcomes Three Electrophysiologists
Ensuring Communication and Compliance for Patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
By MyAdvice at MagMutual
Effective communication is vital in healthcare, yet language barriers significantly increase the risk of misdiagnosis, delayed treatment and adverse outcomes. Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) often struggle to articulate symptoms, understand diagnoses or follow care instructions — all of which can lead to malpractice claims. But beyond risk mitigation, ... Continue Reading
Advances in Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Therapy
By Michael Hoosien, MD
It has been almost seven decades since the initial development of the first implantable cardiac pacemakers in the late 1950’s, with immense and rapid technological development subsequently leading to dramatic changes in the design and use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED’s) around the globe. The last two decades in particular have seen the introduction of ... Continue Reading
Pulsed Field Ablation
By Amit D. Shah, MD, PhD
Atrial fibrillation, defined as a supraventricular arrhythmia with uncoordinated activation and ineffective contraction, is the most common arrhythmia in the United States, and it continues to increase in incidence and prevalence. Two potential sequelae of atrial fibrillation are risk of stroke and significant symptoms that lower quality of life. So, in general, goals of ... Continue Reading
Advances in VT Ablation
By Ahmadreza Karimianpour, DO, FACC, FHRS
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with structural heart disease. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) reduce sudden cardiac death but do not prevent recurrent VT, which leads to hospitalizations and impaired quality of life. Catheter ablation has emerged as a central strategy in VT management, with multiple ... Continue Reading
Beyond Pills and Procedures
By Deepthy Varghese, DNP, APRN, NP-C
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia worldwide, driving stroke, heart failure, cognitive decline, and premature death, while profoundly affecting quality of life.¹ Catheter ablation is now a cornerstone for rhythm control, often outperforming antiarrhythmic drugs in selected patients.² Yet in real-world practice, ablation and pharmacologic therapy ... Continue Reading
Atrial Fibrillation in Heart Failure
By Ashish A. Bhimani, MD, FHRS, FACC
Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) are intertwined at so many levels, and each is both a major cause of and result of the other. This interplay is complex and incorporates many pathological mechanisms, but needless to say, the patient presenting with both AF and HF is an important cohort worth a more detailed review. One of the key issues is trying to sort out ... Continue Reading
From Palpitations to the EP Lab
By Eduardo Quintero, MD
A healthy young woman suddenly feels her heart pounding in her chest during a stressful work meeting. She becomes lightheaded, her smartwatch shows a heart rate of 190 beats per minute, and by the time she reaches urgent care, the episode has stopped. She has had similar infrequent events before, but now they seem to be occurring more often. For many patients this is their ... Continue Reading
Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion
By Sandeep K. Goyal, MD, FHRS, FACC
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia worldwide and confers roughly a fivefold increase in ischemic stroke risk.1 In non-valvular AF (NVAF), thrombus arises predominantly in the left atrial appendage (LAA), which accounts for the vast majority of cardioembolic sources. “Valvular AF” is a specific term: it refers to AF in the setting of moderate–severe ... Continue Reading
Cardiac Electrophysiology
By Stacy Westerman, MD, MPH
Modern day cardiology care is a multidisciplinary subspecialty, encompassing the heart’s pump function, its blood supply via the coronary arteries, valvular integrity, and the electrical system. The field of cardiology is constantly evolving and is a true collaborative endeavor. Cardiac electrophysiology (EP) is the discipline dedicated to identifying and treating disorders of ... Continue Reading
Lung Cancer Detection with Emory’s ION Non-Surgical Robot
Emory Johns Creek Hospital recently held a “test-drive” event for its newest non-surgical robot, called ION. The ION bronchoscopy system by Intuitive uses minimally invasive fiber optic technology to allow clinicians to biopsy lung nodules that may be suspicious for lung cancer. Stephanie Hampton, MD, assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care at Emory University ... Continue Reading
Drs. Linnerman and Truitt’s Research Leads to Improvements in Newborn Screening for Cystic Fibrosis
Drs. Rachel Linnemann and Brittany Truitt, pulmonologists with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, recently published research resulting in improvements in Georgia’s statewide newborn screening (NBS) process for cystic fibrosis (CF). “This project has led to multiple changes at the state level in CF NBS follow-up processes with the goal of improving timely diagnosis,” said Dr. ... Continue Reading
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Physician Voted President-Elect of American Academy of Pediatrics
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is proud to announce that pediatrician Terri D. McFadden, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP has been voted president-elect of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and will serve as president of AAP in 2027. “I am honored to serve in this leadership role with the American Academy of Pediatrics,” said Dr. McFadden. “The AAP is an amazing organization ... Continue Reading
Children’s Surgeons Perform World’s Youngest Domino Liver Transplant
Surgeons at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta performed what is believed to be the world’s youngest domino liver transplant (DLT), a procedure in which a patient with a metabolic disease receives a donor liver, while their native liver is transplanted into another patient without the metabolic disease but who has end-stage liver disease. Without the metabolic disorder, the ... Continue Reading
Peachtree Orthopedics Introduces State-of-the-Art Robotic Surgery Technology
Peachtree Orthopedics introduced the Mako 3 SmartRobotics™ system transforming the way joint replacement and spinal surgery are performed. Mako SmartRobotics™ combines advanced 3D CT-based planning with AccuStop™ haptic technology, allowing surgeons to operate with unparalleled precision, control and confidence. This third-generation Mako system offers even more ... Continue Reading
