Northern Westchester Hospital’s (NWH) has opened a state-of-the-art Electrophysiology Lab, offering specialized testing, expert diagnosis and advanced treatment for all types of heart rhythm irregularities.
According to Dr. Subbarao Choudry, director of the Electrophysiology Lab, irregular heart rhythms or arrhythmias are extremely common, affecting approximately three million people in the United States. The risk increases as people age, affecting 5% to 10% of people over the age of 65. The electrophysiology lab offers specialized testing and diagnosis of abnormal heart rhythms which can be treated with medications or procedures ranging from pacemakers and defibrillators that resynchronize heartbeats or ablation procedures that remove heart tissue that causes abnormal heart rhythms. In most cases, a cardiologist will refer patients to the Electrophysiology Lab after an episode of fainting, dizziness or palpitations, or when an abnormality in the electrical system of the heart is diagnosed by an EKG.
“It is incredibly important to have the Electrophysiology Lab at the hospital so we can work hand-in-hand with the Cardiac Catheterization Lab to offer comprehensive and advanced cardiac services in this community,” says Dr. Choudry. “If you think of the heart like a house, sometimes the plumbing fails, sometimes the electrical malfunctions, and sometimes you have issues with both. For example, many patients have decreased heart function as a result of blockages in the heart arteries—the plumbing—but because of their decreased heart function, they will be at increased risk for dangerous arrhythmias—electrical—and require the implantation of a defibrillator.”
As part of the Seema Boesky Heart Center at Northern Westchester Hospital, the Electrophysiology Lab is among the hospital’s comprehensive array of cardiac programs and services including: the Cardiac Catheterization Lab; community outreach and education programs; a medically monitored cardiac rehabilitation program; and, a new suite of Northwell Health Physician Partners cardiology offices located at Chappaqua Crossing facility. The Cardiac Cath Lab and the Electrophysiology Lab are available to provide care 24/7 and are an extension of Lenox Hill Hospital’s nationally renowned cardiac program, offering a regional center of excellence for interventional and procedural cardiac care.
“Northern Westchester Hospital is committed to enhancing the care we provide our community. Bringing high quality, advanced cardiac care to our region is an excellent example of this commitment, said Derek Anderson, executive director of NWH. He adds, “Prior to opening the Electrophysiology Lab, community members needed to travel to the city or to a major hospital center for testing, diagnosis and treatment. Now we are able to provide this time sensitive care in our community. Our Cath Lab has treated more than 600 patients since opening last fall and patient outcomes show that the community is truly benefitting from these life-saving services being immediately accessible.”
Dr. Choudry serves as director of the Electrophysiology Lab working in cooperation with a team of clinical and support staff. Dr. Choudry received his medical degree from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York where he also completed a residency in internal medicine. He completed research fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital, a Cardiology Fellowship at Yale-New Haven Hospital and a Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. He is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Disease and Cardiac Electrophysiology. Dr. Subbarao Choudry, also has privileges at Phelps Hospital and Lenox Hill Hospital, both part of Northwell Health.
For additional information, visit www.nwh.northwell.edu/heart.
