The Karen & Murray Dalfen Arrhythmia Centre: a new chapter for patients with arrhythmia

On June 3, the Montreal Heart Institute officially inaugurated the Karen & Murray Dalfen Arrhythmia Centre, a centre designed to streamline and enhance the care dispensed to patients with arrythmia. All specialized services are now housed in a single location, resulting in a patient experience that is more coherent, efficient, and human-centric. 

Until now, patients made appointments with various departments, often in different parts of the hospital. The new centre solves this issue by providing patients with everything from specialized consultations to post-surgical follow-ups. Going forward, it will be home to the MHI’s arrhythmia specialists in atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmia, implantable cardiac devices, post-surgery follow-ups, and more. 

The Karen & Murray Dalfen Arrhythmia Centre stands out thanks to the highly specialized expertise of its teams and the range of approaches they employ to treat heart rhythm disorders, including ventricular arrhythmias. In fact, the teams can perform any type of modern ablation such as radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, and the novel pulsed field ablation procedure, which is a very targeted treatment that minimizes damage to surrounding tissue.  

The centre is also equipped with a Stereotaxis system, which enables the teams to carry out highly precise interventions in patients with complex anatomies such as those with congenital heart disease. 

In terms of implantable devices, the experts at the centre are adept with the latest generation of cardiac monitors, subcutaneous defibrillators, leadless pacemakers, and intricate extraction devices. As a result of the range of options available, the teams can provide comprehensive care – from implantation to post-surgical follow-ups – tailored to each patient's clinical needs. Moreover, many people can now be monitored from the comfort of their homes thanks to devices that transmit clinical data in real time to the MHI’s specialists. 

Experts at the centre also conduct genetic research into arrhythmia, in particular in terms of screening for genetic conditions that can lead to sudden death. This synergy between research, technology, and care ensures patients receive the most advanced treatments available in an environment that puts their well-being first. 

The project was made possible thanks to the generosity of Murray Dalfen, his wife Karen, and the Dalfen Family Foundation. Mr. Dalfen is himself a patient at the MHI and is monitored for his arrhythmia. Moreover, his family has a history of heart disease; his parents were both patients of the MHI. That’s why he knows how important it is for patients to have access to highly specialized care. 

“One is blessed with wealth on condition that one gives back to society,” he said. He and his spouse decided to help fund the creation of a centre that would have a tangible impact on patients. Because he cares profoundly about innovation and helping people, he is deeply moved to see how many lives have been changed by his donations.  

Thanks to the Karen & Murray Dalfen Arrhythmia Centre, the MHI and the MHIF are reaffirming their ambition to put the patient at the heart of their priorities and to continue setting new standards of excellence in cardiovascular care.