KARACHI: National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) has completed 500 successful pediatric electrophysiology procedures, marking the country’s first specialized program dedicated to treating children with abnormal heart rhythms. Dr. Muhammad Mohsin, head of the Pediatric Electrophysiology Program, said abnormal heart rhythms in children are complex but treatable conditions that are often congenital or inherited and may affect multiple members of the same family. The program primarily treats three categories of patients: children born with abnormally slow heart rates, patients with excessively fast heart rhythms, and children or adolescents at risk of sudden cardiac arrest due to inherited heart conditions. Dr. Mohsin said awareness of pediatric heart rhythm disorders in Pakistan was limited before the program began in 2021, but demand has increased significantly. NICVD Executive Director Prof. Dr. Tahir Saghir described the completion of 500 procedures as a landmark achievement, noting that the pediatric electrophysiology service is currently the only specialized facility of its kind in Pakistan.