Dr. John L Sapp, MD FRCPC
Claim this profileNova Scotia Health Authority
Affiliated Hospitals
Nova Scotia Health Authority
Clinical Trials John L Sapp, MD FRCPC is currently running
SBRT
for Ventricular Tachycardia
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) contributes to over 350,000 sudden deaths each year in the US. Malignant VTs involve an electrical "short circuit" in the heart, formed by narrow channels of surviving tissue inside myocardial scar. Current treatment for VT consists of either implantable defibrillators (ICDs), suppressive drug therapy, catheter ablation or a combination of all 3. Implantable Defibrillators (ICDs) reduce sudden death and can terminate some ventricular tachycardia (VT) without shocks, but they don't prevent VT. The occurrence of ≥1 ICD shock is associated with reductions in mental well-being and physical functioning, and increases in anxiety and sometimes depression. Further, ICD shocks have been consistently associated with adverse outcomes, including heart failure and death. Furthermore, the most important predictor of ICD shocks is a history of prior ICD shocks. Therapies to suppress VT include antiarrhythmic drug therapy and catheter ablation, neither however is universally effective. When VT recurs despite antiarrhythmic drug therapy and catheter ablation, novel yet invasive, approaches may be required. Such invasive procedures carry consequent risks of cardiac and extra-cardiac injury. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a non-invasive technique that delivers high doses of radiation precisely to specified regions in the body, while minimizing exposure to adjacent tissue. This technique is currently, and commonly used in the treatment of cancer. Conventional application of SBRT has made use of its ability to spare non-target tissue, including for treatment of tumors near the heart. More recently, clinicians have changed the paradigm, by focusing radioablative energy on ventricular scar responsible for ventricular tachycardia. Pre-clinical studies have supported the concept and were followed by first-in-human VT therapeutic experience in 2017. Subsequent studies have had encouraging results for patients who failed or were unable to tolerate conventional treatment.
Recruiting
1 award
N/A
2 criteria
Electrophysiological Imaging
for Ventricular Tachycardia
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) contributes to over 350,000 sudden deaths each year in the US. Malignant VTs involve an electrical "short circuit" in the heart, formed by narrow channels of surviving tissue inside myocardial scar. An important treatment is to use catheter ablation to "block" the channel that forms the circuit. Effective ablation requires imaging guidance to visualize the VT circuit relative to scar structures in 3D. Unfortunately, with conventional catheter mapping, up to 90% of the VT circuits are too short-lived to be mapped. For the 10% "mappable" VTs, their data are only available during ablation and limited to one ventricular surface. This inadequacy of functional VT data largely limits the knowledge about scar-related VT and ablation strategies, and reduces the ability of clinicians to identify ablation targets and assess ablation outcome. The central hypothesis of this proposal is that functional VT data, integrated with CT or MRI scar data in 3D, can improve VT ablation efficacy with pre-procedural identification of ablation targets and post-procedural mechanistic elucidation of ablation failure. This research builds on the rapidly increasing clinical interest in electrocardiographic imaging (ECGi), an emerging technique that obtains cardiac electrical activity through inverse reconstructions from ECGs. The specific objective is to push the boundary of ECGi to provide - as a conjunction to intra-procedural catheter mapping - pre-ablation and post-ablation imaging of functional VT circuits integrated with 3D scar structure.
Recruiting
1 award
N/A
5 criteria
More about John L Sapp, MD FRCPC
Clinical Trial Related
4 years of experience running clinical trials · Led 3 trials as a Principal Investigator · 2 Active Clinical Trials
Treatments John L Sapp, MD FRCPC has experience with
- Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)
- EP Imaging And Testing
- Antiarrythmic Drug Therapy
- Catheter Ablation
Breakdown of trials John L Sapp, MD FRCPC has run
Ventricular Tachycardia
Heart Attack
Cardiomyopathy
Myocardial Ischemia
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need insurance to participate in a trial?
Almost all clinical trials will cover the cost of the ‘trial drug’ — so no insurance is required for this. For trials where this trial drug is given alongside an already-approved medication, there may be a cost (which your insurance would normally cover).
What does John L Sapp, MD FRCPC specialize in?
John L Sapp, MD FRCPC focuses on Ventricular Tachycardia and Heart Attack. In particular, much of their work with Ventricular Tachycardia has involved treating patients, or patients who are undergoing treatment.
Is John L Sapp, MD FRCPC currently recruiting for clinical trials?
Yes, John L Sapp, MD FRCPC is currently recruiting for 2 clinical trials in Halifax Nova Scotia. If you're interested in participating, you should apply.
Are there any treatments that John L Sapp, MD FRCPC has studied deeply?
Yes, John L Sapp, MD FRCPC has studied treatments such as Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), EP Imaging and Testing, Antiarrythmic Drug Therapy.
What is the best way to schedule an appointment with John L Sapp, MD FRCPC?
Apply for one of the trials that John L Sapp, MD FRCPC is conducting.
What is the office address of John L Sapp, MD FRCPC?
The office of John L Sapp, MD FRCPC is located at: Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3A7 Canada. This is the address for their practice at the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
Is there any support for travel costs?
The coverage of travel expenses can vary greatly between different clinical trials. Please see more financial detail in the trials you’re interested to apply.
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