The world-class reputation of cardiac care at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust is poised to see us launch a randomised controlled trial to further improve treatment of heart arrhythmias.

This follows the world’s first in-man study of 10 patients, joint authored by UHCW Electrophysiology Specialist Registrar Dr Jaffar Al-Sheikhli and UHCW Chief Cardiac Physiologist Mr Ian Patchett and just published in the Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology, who were treated with the DiamondTemp ablation system developed by medical company Medtronic.

Catheters (thin wires) are inserted into patients’ hearts via the groin and radiofrequency energy (heat) is used to destroy the bad tissue causing the arrhythmias.

But the DiamondTemp system uses a black diamond tip that allows the catheter to measure the tip to tissue temperature far more accurately. This gives the operating team more control of the radiofrequency energy delivered and means even the most complex types of arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia can be treated.

Ross Ward, Medtronic UK & Ireland Business Manager, said: “We are delighted UHCW have achieved such successful results with the DiamondTemp system and we look forward to working closely with Professor Dhanjal and the rest of the EP team in moving this technology further in the future.”

A £350,000 grant from Medtronic will help Professor Tarv Dhanjal’s team recruit up to 116 patients who have potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).

The trial will see patients assigned either the current metal tip or the DiamondTemp black diamond tip, with results compared after 12 months.

Professor Dhanjal, Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist, said: “When Medtronic developed this catheter, they approached us to try it because of our national reputation in heart rhythm management.

“We have shown it to be effective in treating one of the most challenging and life threatening heart rhythm disorders known as ventricular tachycardia. These are really sick patients and this novel technology has the potential to make this a safer and more effective procedure.”

Professor Dhanjal has also been invited to carry out the procedure at the Prague Workshop on Catheter Ablation, taking place from April 24 to 26.

“I was honoured with this invitation to perform a live case in Prague.  This is testament to the world class multi-disciplinary team approach we have developed within the UHCW cath labs in managing patients with complex heart rhythm disturbances” he added.

“There have only been a few UK Electrophysiologists invited to operate on such an international stage and this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our UHCW Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation workflow.”