Atrial Fibrillation

If you have A Fib, you are not alone. Some 2.7 million people in the United States suffer from this disease. The Palm Beach Health Network is at the forefront of treatment options for Atrial Fibrillation, including the full spectrum of traditional, minimally invasive, and surgical treatments.

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What is Atrial Fibrillation (Afib)?

Atrial Fibrillation, or AFib, is the most common type of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) which causes numerous debilitating symptoms. Symptoms can include:

• Palpitations
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Confusion

Common Treatments for Atrial Fibrillation

There are many things to consider when it comes to treating AFib. Treatment options can include medications, nonsurgical procedures and surgical procedures. The treatment plan can vary based on:

• Severity
• Presence of other medical issues
• How long AFib has been present

Minimally-Invasive Treatment Options for A Fib

Arial Fibrillation Ablation

Atrial fibrillation ablation involves threading a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter into the heart through a blood vessel in the arm, upper thigh, or neck. Live X-ray images are used to carefully guide the catheter into the heart. Several flexible tubes with electrodes on the tips are run through the catheter and placed in different small blood vessels in the heart. Sections of the heart are then mapped to locate abnormal tissue.

Energy is applied to destroy targeted tissue that has been identified as causing the irregular heartbeat. Two types of energy that can be used in the procedure are radiofrequency to generate heat or liquid nitrogen to freeze the targeted area of the heart. The resulting scar line then acts as a barrier between affected tissue and the rest of the healthy heart, stopping abnormal electrical signals that cause an irregular heartbeat.

Convergent Procedure

The Palm Beach Health Network was the first in Palm Beach, Broward and Martin County to offer a minimally invasive procedure that combines the best of electrophysiology and cardiac surgery treatments to help restore normal heart rhythm for longtime sufferers of atrial fibrillation, or AFib. Early clinical experience has shown that the convergent approach, conducted in a single operating room setting, improves early outcomes for the most challenging patients and reduces procedure times when compared to approaches where the two disciplines work separately.

How it Works

Our cardiac surgeons and electrophysiologists (EPs) work together to perform cardiac ablation on a beating heart using radiofrequency (focused heat) to produce scar tissue on the heart to block abnormal electrical signals. The surgeon is able to create comprehensive, linear lesions on the outside surface of the beating heart through a small, one-inch incision made in the patient’s abdomen. There are no chest incisions and/or ports, as in other surgical ablation procedures. The EP then threads a catheter through the patient’s femoral vein, in the groin, to reach the heart and fill in any gaps in the ablation. The EP utilizes diagnostic techniques to confirm that all abnormal electrical signals have been interrupted. The entire procedure lasts roughly half the time of a single-discipline catheter ablation procedure.

What to Expect

Following the convergent approach procedure, it is possible that your daily rhythm medications may be reduced or even eliminated. Typical hospital stays last two to three days, compared to five days or more for more invasive heart surgery, and you should be back to your normal activities quickly.

Laparoscopic Atrial Fibrillation Surgery

AFib can be treated laparoscopically and new minimally invasive surgeries are available for select patients. These minimally invasive options include the following benefits:

• Takes a fraction of the time of a standard operation
• Reduce blood loss
• Quicker recovery times

Left Atrial Appendage Closure

The facts of having AFib are sobering: You are five times more likely to suffer a stroke than someone with a regular heartbeat, according to the American Stroke Association. As your heart contracts with each heartbeat, blood is squeezed out of the left atrium and into the left ventricle (bottom left of your heart). If you have atrial fibrillation, blood can’t be squeezed out of your left atrium effectively, and can therefore collect in your left atrial appendage and increase your chances of a stroke.

Blood thinning medications are a common treatment for atrial fibrillation but they aren’t suitable for everyone. If you can’t take medication, your doctor might recommend a procedure to close your left atrial appendage to prevent blood collecting in your left atrial appendage. The left atrial appendage closure procedure closes off the opening of your left atrial appendage, which is a small pouch, shaped like a windsock, found in the top left of your heart (the left atrium). Like your appendix, your left atrial appendage doesn’t really have a clear role to play in your body.

For more information about Left Atrial Appendage Closure options, please contact your cardiologist.