SAI KONDURU, MD, ARCTIC FRONT ADVANCE ® CRYOBALLOON TECHNOLOGY

Sai Konduru, MD, a partner at Willis-Knighton Cardiology, now offers the Arctic Front Advance ® cryoballoon technology to treat patients with atrial fi brillation (AFib.) He is among the fi rst doctors in the region to offer this unique procedure.

Atrial fi brillation is the most common type of irregular heart beat or arrhythmia, affecting 7 million people worldwide. It causes the upper chambers of the heart to beat too fast, inhibiting the movement of blood in and out of the heart. Atrial fi brillation diminishes a person’s overall quality of life with symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain, while increasing his or her risk of stroke and heart failure.

Cryoballoon ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that delivers a coolant through an infl atable balloon to freeze and ablate tissue, rather than creating lesions with radio frequency or heated energy with a point-by-point catheter.

The technology allows the physician to reach and treat pulmonary veins quickly and effi ciently, stopping abnormal electrical activity that causes irregular heartbeat.

“This next-generation cryoballoon technology provides the same high-caliber, clinically validated features of its predecessor, while offering the benefi ts of greater treatment effi ciency,” Dr. Konduru says. “By treating patients with the most advanced, clinically relevant technology, we are better equipped to successfully manage their atrial fi brillation, thereby improving their overall quality of life.”

Studies show 73 percent of patients using cryoballoon technology achieved freedom from atrial fi brillation at one year Dr. Konduru, who specializes in clinical cardiac electrophysiology, joined Willis-Knighton Cardiology in March, returning to Shreveport from private practice in the Kansas City area. His clinic is part of the Willis- Knighton Physician Network. His offi ce is located in the Willis-Knighton Heart & Vascular Institute on the campus of Willis-Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport.