March 2017

|
Volume 17 Issue 3

Editorial Staff

Clinical Editor
Bradley Knight, MD
Executive Editor
Laurie Gustafson
Managing Editor
Jodie Elrod
Production Manager
Alexa Flinn

Editorial Correspondence

Jodie Elrod, Managing Editor, EP Lab Digest
HMP Communications, 70 E. Swedesford Rd
Suite 100, Malvern PA 19355
Telephone: (800) 371-0791

Fax: (866) 488-8273
Email: jelrod@hmpglobal.com
The Rising Costs of Isoproterenol
Unless the price of isoproterenol can be dramatically reduced, it is important to investigate alternative agents in the EP lab.
Initial Experience with the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System
Zachary M. Lill, MD and colleagues present their initial experience with the single-chamber, rate-responsive Micra Transcatheter Pacing System from Medtronic.
Balancing Act: Setting the Stage for Efficient Utilization of EP / Cardiac Cath Labs Now and Into the Future
Lorraine Buck discusses how having a solid understanding of internal lab utilization in comparison to benchmarks will help to set the stage for future procedural growth. The “balancing act” will be determining the right procedures at the right time i…
Components of the EP Study, Part 3: Decremental Atrial Pacing (DAP)
Authors Linda Moulton, RN, MS and Kriegh Moulton, MD provide the third installment in this series of articles in EP Lab Digest outlining the five components of a basic electrophysiology study.
Moderate Sedation Administration Documentation and Compensation
Jim Collins, CPC, CCC describes how new codes that became effective on January 1st, 2017 should be used to report moderate sedation. 
Use of a Novel Mechanical Extraction Sheath for Transvenous Lead Extraction: You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!
Laurence M. Epstein, MD reviews the use of a novel, shielded mechanical extraction sheath to successfully remove older, chronic pacemaker and ICD leads. 
Cryoballoon Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: Initiating the Program at a Community Hospital
Ali A. Sovari, MD provides a summary of protocols and information about his program’s initial experience with the cryoballoon technique at St. John’s Regional Medical Center.
10-Minute Interview: Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy
In this interview, we speak with Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Excellence in AF and Complex Arrhythmias at The University of Kansas Hospital.    
Spotlight Interview: The University of Kansas Hospital
In this issue, we provide an update on the EP program from The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas.
User Review: The New EnSite Precision Cardiac Mapping System
As the first user of this new technology in the U.S., John D. Day, MD shares his initial experience with the next-generation EnSite Precision cardiac mapping system.