Mo al-Ahdab, MD, FAAP

Why did you choose to work in the field of pediatric electrophysiology? Describe your medical background.

My passion for the field started in medical school, during the time I was learning how to read electrocardiograms. During my residency training in pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago, I was exposed to some patients with arrhythmia issues that were medically treated. When Dr. Mark Ovadia joined the program and started to perform EPS and ablations on these patients, I was amazed how a life of a patient can change from one where they were taking one or two anti-arrhythmics to being drug-free and symptom-free after their procedure.

During my cardiology fellowship, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I was fortunate to spend the next two years in the world of EP. In my first year at the University of Michigan, I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Macdonald Dick and Dr. Peter Fischback in Ann Arbor. They cemented my interest in electrophysiology and provided invaluable mentoring and guidance during my early career. Afterwards, I pursued more training at Children s Hospital in Boston, where I further expanded my knowledge and experience by working closely with great faculty and seeing more complicated cases.

Describe your role as pediatric electrophysiologist at Cypress Heart and Via Christi Regional Medical Center. What is a typical day like?

My role is very unique. There is a definite need for my specialty in the state of Kansas, as no other person with this background is practicing in the state. Most cases used to be sent out of town to be treated. Most pediatric EPs establish their practice at a children s hospital. I found a great potential here in Wichita to build such a practice and to develop many aspects of it. My group is very supportive they share my vision to become a good resource of care for patients in need.

At Cypress Heart, I established a practice that includes general pediatric cardiology care and specialized electrophysiology care. I have two full-day clinics, two half-day clinics and two days for procedures. I cover three major hospitals and two smaller ones here in Wichita. My group also pulls patients from the whole state of Kansas, as we have 13 outreach clinics.

Since day one, I have worked with the EP lab leadership at Via Christi to build their confidence and experience in performing pediatric EP cases. They are wonderful and passionate about EP. I have opted not to perform any invasive procedures in the very young patients, since we do not yet have the setup and backup needed to handle its complexity.

I have teamed up with my partner, Dr. Sambit Mondal, in performing adult and pediatric cases. In addition, I was blessed with hiring a smart and dedicated pediatric nurse practitioner, Jenny Ecord, who has been a great asset to my practice. My practice has grown much faster than I initially expected. My goal is to continue to provide excellent medical care no less than any established academic practice.

Name one of the most unusual pediatric EP cases you have ever worked on.