Data presented at the recent 2011 Heart Rhythm Society meeting in San Francisco regarding the effectiveness of catheter ablation for treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation suggests that multiple procedures may be needed. Dr. Thomas Rostock presented data on 395 patients (261 with persistent atrial fibrillation and 134 with longstanding persistent afib) who had stepwise ablation [...]
Updating the Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Guidelines — Interview with Dr. Hugh Calkins, Johns Hopkins
In this video interview, Dr. Hugh Calkins, electrophysiologist at Johns Hopkins, talks about the effort underway to rewrite the HRS/EHRA/ECAS Expert Consensus Statement on Catheter and Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation. The new global guidelines are expected in January of 2012. Watch the video at: Johns Hopkins Electrophysiologist, Dr. Hugh Calkins, On Updating the Atrial [...]
Atrial Fibrillation Stroke Risk Decreases from Radiofrequency (RF) Catheter Ablation
A study presented at the recent American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions by Dr. Matthew Reynolds of the Harvard Clinical Research Institute showed that having a radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation could reduce the risk of stroke by 40% compared to those who did not have an ablation. To learn more, see: Radiofrequency [...]
Dr. Matthew Reynolds on Quality of Life From AF Ablation vs. Antiarrhythmic Drugs — Video
In this video, Dr. Matthew Reynolds, of the Harvard Clinical Research Institute, discussed his quality of life findings from use of catheter ablation and antiarrhythmic drugs for treatment of atrial fibrillation. He analyzed quality of life data that was collected as part of the THERMOCOOL catheter trial in which catheter ablation was found to be [...]
Dr. Ken Ellenbogen Talks about Fish Oil for Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Prevention Drugs — Video
In this video, Dr. Kenneth Ellenbogen talks about important information presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2010. First he talked about the ROCKET AF clinical trial of rivaroxaban, a new drug that is an alternative to warfarin (Coumadin), as well as another alternative, the recently-approved dabigatran. He provided scenarios as to how these drugs [...]
Surgeon Explains Why Hybrid Ablation “Makes Sense” for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Treatment
Hybrid ablation is an emerging treatment for patients with persistent and longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation. It is a dual approach, in which an electrophysiologist ablates from inside the heart and the cardiac surgeon ablates on the outside the heart. Dr. James Edgerton, a cardiac surgeon at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano in Texas, who spoke [...]
Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation after Catheter Ablation Linked to Age, Gender, and Afib Type
Up to 30% of patients could have very late recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation, according to research highlighted at the recent Boston AF Symposium. Very late recurrence, which is when atrial fibrillation resumes more than one year after ablation, may be the result of age, gender, type of afib, and existence of other [...]
An Electrophysiologist’s Cryoablation Experience Yields Better Results for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
At the recent Boston AF Symposium, investigators of the STOP AF clinical trial, which investigated the effectiveness and safety of Medtronic’s Arctic Front Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter system, showed that electrophysiologists who are more experienced with the device had better success rates and no major complications compared to those who had performed just one or two [...]
Sobering or Encouraging? Dr. Pierre Jais Shares Bordeaux’s 5-year Catheter Ablation Results—Video
Today’s featured story comes from Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium where we talked with Dr. Pierre Jais about new 5-year catheter ablation results that his team at Bordeaux has just published. One-third of these patients had persistent or longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation. These results have been described in the media as “sobering”, but hear Dr. Jais [...]
