Percutaneous Stellate Ganglion Block for Electrical Storm

Dr. Savastano graduated in Medicine in 2004 with top honors, focusing his thesis on echocardiography's role in stratifying the risk of death in cardiac amyloidosis patients. Subsequently, he completed his Cardiology degree in 2008 with outstanding grades, researching inflammatory markers' predictive value for cardiac resynchronization therapy response. Joining the Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in 2009 as a Cardiology consultant, he initiated and leads the Pavia Cardiac Arrest Registry (PaviaCARe), now Lombardia CARe since 2019. He heads the RESTART research group on cardiac arrest and resuscitation, officially recognized by Fondazione IRCCS San Matteo in 2023. Serving as adjunct professor of Cardiology at the University of Pavia since 2022, he contributes to ESCAPE-NET and action PARQ, EU-funded European initiatives for sudden cardiac arrest prevention and care quality improvement.

His involvement in percutaneous stellate ganglion block (PSGB) began in 2017 at Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, leading to its widespread adoption. Notable publications and courses established San Matteo as a leading centre for PSGB in Italy. This culminated in the STAR Study, the largest multicentre observational study on PSGB for recurrent ventricular arrhythmias, and the LIVE study, exploring SGB for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Over time, PSGB became a hallmark procedure at San Matteo, reflecting its excellence in cardiac care.