Dr. Matthew McKillop and his team at work in Baptist Health’s Heart Rhythm Center.
The physician-led study is trailing the use of AI mapping technology during procedures on patients with persistent Afib.
Jacksonville, Fla., December 14, 2023 – Baptist Health has once again reaffirmed its position as a regional leader in innovative cardiac treatments by participating in a new clinical study to measure the impact of using AI-powered mapping technology during procedures to treat patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (Afib).
Cardiac electrophysiologist and medical director of Baptist Health’s electrophysiology program, Matthew McKillop, MD, recently became the first physician in North Florida and the fourth in the world to perform a cardiac ablation procedure using the STAR Apollo™ Mapping System.
The study focuses on patients who continue to experience Afib despite already having undergone an ablation, which involves scarring heart tissue to block the electrical signals causing the heart to beat irregularly.
During the recent procedure, Dr. McKillop used the AI-powered mapping system to help pinpoint the areas causing the patient’s atrial fibrillation. Computer algorithms summarized thousands of data points to identify areas that were potential drivers for Afib so they could be targeted for treatment. The hope is that this mapping technology will bring an increased level of precision to ablation procedures, allowing for more discrete, high-value areas to be targeted and treated using a limited amount of ablation. The procedure was performed at the new Heart Rhythm Center at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville.
“We’re excited to be the first in North Florida to trial the use of this cutting-edge technology in the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation,” said Dr. McKillop. “Our participation in clinical studies like this allow us to bring innovative treatment options to those in our community.”
Dr. McKillop is collaborating with four other U.S. centers on this physician-led study of the mapping system, which is being sponsored by Dhanunjaya “DJ” Lakkireddy, MD, from the Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute at HCA Midwest Health.
Afib is the most common form of heart rhythm disorder, with experts estimating that around 12.1 million adults in the U.S. will have the condition by 2030[1]. It occurs when the upper and lower chambers of the heart are not coordinated, causing the heart to beat too slowly, too quickly or irregularly. The disorder increases one’s risk of having blood clots, strokes, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
Physicians providing care at Baptist Health hospitals are not employees or agents of the hospital. Dr. McKillop is employed by Baptist Cardiology, Inc.
About Baptist Health
Baptist Health is a faith-based, mission-driven system in Northeast Florida comprised of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville; Baptist Medical Center Beaches; Baptist Medical Center Clay; Baptist Medical Center Nassau; Baptist Medical Center South and Wolfson Children’s Hospital – the region’s only children’s hospital. Baptist Health is part of Coastal Community Health, a highly integrated regional hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. Baptist Health has the area’s only dedicated heart hospital; orthopedic institute; women’s services; neurological institute, including comprehensive neurosurgical services, a comprehensive stroke center and two primary stroke centers; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; a full range of psychology and psychiatry services; urgent care services; primary and specialty care physicians’ offices throughout Northeast Florida; and Baptist Home Health Care by BAYADA. The Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center is a regional destination for multidisciplinary cancer care, which is clinically integrated with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, the internationally renowned cancer treatment and research institution in Houston. For more details, visit baptistjax.com.
