Getting the Beat Back on Track
Solano County residents with heart arrhythmias used to have to travel out of county to receive specialized care from a cardiac electrophysiologist. Now that service is just another one of the many advanced offerings provided by NorthBay Health Heart & Vascular, under the supervision of Javed (Jay) Nasir, M.D.
Dr. Nasir joined NorthBay in December, bringing an expertise in treating specific arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation and fibrillation with ablative procedures, according to Adam Mace, Director, NorthBay Health Heart & Vascular.
“NorthBay is the only health care organization in Solano County to offer this life-saving and life-improving specialty,” Adam noted. “We already have cardiovascular physicians who can do implants and treat arrhythmias, but Dr. Nasir’s expertise takes it to the next level.”
Arrhythmias happen when abnormal cells disrupt the heart’s normal electrical signals. The condition can increase the risk of heart failure, stroke, blood clots and even sudden death.
Electrophysiologists are experts in diagnosis and treatment of these abnormal rhythms with medications, pacemakers, defibrillations, and with catheter ablation. Catheter ablation is when when a electrophysologist guides a tiny catheters and identifies the area of disruptive cells. After deploying a carefully administered dose of radiofrequency energy, like microwave heat, the electrophysiologist can destroy that small part of the heart’s disruptive tissue and restore it to regular rhythm.
Dr. Nasir comes to NorthBay from Mercy Medical Center in Redding, where he served as Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology since 2020. Prior to that, he was Director of the Device Clinic at David Grant Medical Center and Chief of its Cardiac Electrophysiology program. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as a major in 2020, after a 24-year career.
NorthBay has invested in special equipment for his practice, including a cardiac mapping system, an ICE (Intracardiac Echo machine); a Claris recording system and a generator.
In the past, NorthBay physicians referred about 140 cases a year out of county, but now they can receive treatment close to home.
According to Adam, the Heart & Vascular team came together during the pandemic and brainstormed ways to grow.
“We’re a really good team doing some exciting things for the community, growing year after year,” he said. “To offer a full, complementary cardiovascular program, we needed cardiac EP. It was the missing piece.”
Learn more about all NorthBay Health Heart & Vascular has to offer.
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