At Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2010, Dr. Andrea Russo talked about gender differences in atrial fibrillation treatment, including catheter ablation, as well as women and the risk of stroke from afib.
Watch the video:
Interview with Dr. Andrea Russo at Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2010
We just received the info below, which might be of interest to anyone with afib who is in Philadelphia, Dallas or Chicago…
I have a client who would like to interview 45 people in Philadelphia, Dallas and Chicago who have been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, in mid March. These in-person interviews will last for no more than sixty minutes. Each participant will receive $125, in cash, as a thank-you for their time and trouble. There will be no testing of any treatments or drugs–all we’re interested in is some insight into the experiences people are having treating AFIB. I can be reached, anytime, on my cell phone, at 347-302-9896, or via email at pfc@nyc.rr.com. This is not a sales presentation of any sort–strictly medical opinion research.
At Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2010, Dr. Riccardo Cappato talked about the impact of atrial fibrillation on competitive and professional athletes and how catheter ablation for afib has allowed many to return to training and competition. Watch the video, or read the transcript:
Dr. Riccardo Cappato Part 2: Discussion of Athletes and Atrial Fibrillation
At Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2010, Dr. Riccardo Cappato talked about the results of the Second Worldwide Survey on AF Ablation and how catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation has become safer and more effective. Watch the video, or read the transcript:
Dr. Riccardo Cappato: Discussion of Second Worldwide Survey on AF Ablation
In his session at the Boston Atrial Symposium 2010, Dr. Andrea Natale discussed the current status of robotic technology for atrial fibrillation catheter ablations by sharing results from recent studies using the Hansen Robotic System.
Read: Robotic Technology is Changing the Paradigm for Catheter Ablation Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation
Aspirus Heart & Vascular Institute in Wausau, WI, will present a free seminar on atrial fibrillation treatments on March 2 at which Dr. John Johnkoski and Mellanie True Hills, CEO of StopAfib.org, will speak.
Learn more: Wausau, Wisconsin Atrial Fibrillation Patient Seminar - 03/02/2010
At the recent Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium, Dr. Douglas Packer (Mayo Clinic) talked about new 4-D and 5-D imaging for catheter ablation. Read about his remarks at:
Sophisticated New 4-D and 5-D Imaging May Soon Guide Catheter Ablations
Earlier this week, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, of the NBC Today Show, took viewers inside an Electrophysiology Lab to show a live catheter ablation by Dr. Mauricio Arruda.
The atrial fibrillation patient community was excited to see coverage of something related to atrial fibrillation on national TV. However, there was considerable angst in the professional community over showing a procedure that could potentially result in death because such has happened in medical conference live cases.
While that may be a very valid concern at a medical conference, which might inherently be riskier because live cases encompassing newer or more innovative medical techniques are valued, that might be far less of an issue in a fairly-routine catheter ablation. Because the electrophysiologist wasn’t performing a procedure for his peers, he was less likely to choose a risky case.
In fact, these concerns seem overblown considering that no real catheter ablation actually occurred on TV. All we really saw was the mapping to determine where the catheter should be applied when the procedure actually started. Thus, there was no real risk, and I suspect that all of this was thought through thoroughly so as not to incur any risk on TV.
Even if the catheter ablation had actually been shown, considering that catheter ablation is becoming somewhat routine, and the doctor doing the procedure is a highly-experienced practitioner, the odds of a problem would seem relatively small. After all, the overall mortality (death) rate reported by Cappato in the recent Second Worldwide Multicenter Catheter Ablation Survey was approximately 1 in 1,000. That number was a composite from the results of lower- and higher-volume centers as well as less- and more-experienced electrophysiologists. So for a center and a doctor with lots of experience, the odds of death were somewhat small.
There was also much angst over the mindlessness of the reporting, but who was the intended audience? This wasn’t being shown for the benefit of trained medical professionals, especially not EPs, as most were probably busy doing their own procedures by that time. This was an overview for a consumer audience, and it simplified and communicated what that audience might need to know. My hope is that those who look down on the way this was reported won’t also look down on the intended audience for it.
The Real Problem
My biggest concern with the piece, however, was that it was completely positive. Even when asked specifically about the risks, they didn’t answer the question.
Patients considering the procedure need to know that there are risks, too. While the adverse events reported in the second worldwide survey were less than those in the earlier survey, there are still real risks, because any procedure carries risk. Even the manufacturers will tell you that there are risks.
So treating any catheter ablation as totally risk-free—though not overtly stated, it was implied—was the real disservice of this TV segment. However, if it made patients more aware of options for atrial fibrillation treatment, then it succeeded in educating them. Hopefully they will research and learn more about catheter ablation procedures before discussing this with their doctors.
Read the critiques and controversies, which are valid perspectives for EPs and others who treat afib, at:
Disclaimer (2-5-10): StopAfib.org and the Atrial Fibrillation Blog have no financial relationships with the companies related to this TV segment, though we have met people from these companies at various atrial fibrillation-related medical conferences and have spent time asking questions in their exhibitor booths.
At the recent Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium, catheter ablation was presented as possibly a better atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment option for serious and professional athletes than antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs). According to Dr. Riccardo Cappato (Institute Policlinics San Donato, Milan, Italy), antiarrhythmic drug therapy has not been popular with this patient population.”Even when effective, AADs significantly affect an athlete’s physical performance and inhibit eligibility at pre-qualification screenings,” said Dr. Cappato. “Catheter ablation offers an unprecedented opportunity for these athletes to come back to their sport, especially when healthy [pre-participation screening] certificates are required to compete in countries such as mine.”
During the same session, Dr. Stanley Nattel (Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Canada) presented a small animal study with rats that suggested that strenuous exercise may have contributed to their development of atrial fibrillation.
To learn more, read: Catheter Ablation May be Better Atrial Fibrillation Treatment than Drugs for Serious and Professional Athletes
The Atrial Fibrillation Association in the UK was shocked by the decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to deny atrial fibrillation patients access to dronedarone, a medication that has been approved in the U.S. and Europe. AFA is conducting a campaign to make the voices of atrial fibrillation patients heard. If you’re in the UK, and are as shocked as we are by NICE’s decision, please take action today.
Learn more about what you can do to influence NICE’s decision
