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Day 2 at Boston AF symposium: Morning notes

January 13, 2012 Guest post by Dr. John Mandrola Dr. Frank Marchlinski moderated the first sessions: The global topic involved pulmonary vein reconnections. This is the bane of AF ablation. Our inability to broach the 80% success rates has most to do with the fact that PVs don’t stay isolated. Everyone wants to enhance the …

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StopAfib.org - For Patients. By Patients - Stop Atrial Fibrillation

More notes from the first day of the Boston AF symposium

January 12, 2012 Guest post by Dr. John Mandrola The second half of the day was fast paced and full of information. Folks, these are rough notes. Hope they help…Again my random thoughts are in italics. Dr Eric Prystowsky led off the afternoon with the best clinical papers of 2011: He is a great speaker …

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StopAfib.org - For Patients. By Patients - Stop Atrial Fibrillation

Live Blog—Boston AF symposium

January 12, 2012 Guest post by Dr. John Mandrola I’ve never tried this before: giving some brief snips of an AF symposium, on the fly. Maybe doing so will help me remember. My comments are in italics. Little proofreads—consider these quick notes. First talk: Dr Jalife. Molecular mechanisms AF:Think fibrosis, or the infiltration of scar …

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StopAfib.org - For Patients. By Patients - Stop Atrial Fibrillation

Mini Maze Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation More Effective, But With More Complications, Than Catheter Ablation

By Christine Welniak Summary: A randomized trial showed that minimally invasive (mini maze) surgical ablation was more effective, but with more complications, than catheter ablation at treating atrial fibrillation patients who had failed a previous catheter ablation or had an enlarged left atrium. Reading time: Approximately 8–10 minutes January 9, 2012 — According to a …

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StopAfib.org - For Patients. By Patients - Stop Atrial Fibrillation

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends, and FDA Approves, Bipolar Radiofrequency Clamp for Concomitant Surgery for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

By Christine Welniak Summary: An FDA advisory panel concluded that the benefits outweighed the risks when using the Synergy bipolar radiofrequency clamp during open heart surgeries for treating persistent and longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation. FDA approval was granted December 16, 2012. Reading time: Approximately 4-6 minutes December 16, 2011 — Update: The Food and Drug …

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StopAfib.org - For Patients. By Patients - Stop Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation Focal and Rotor Catheter Ablations Show High Success Rates — Video Interview with Dr. Sanjiv Narayan About the FIRM Trial

By Mellanie True Hills December 12, 2011 Summary: One of the newest frontiers in atrial fibrillation catheter ablation is focal and rotor ablation. In this video, Dr. Sanjiv Narayan talks about the results of the FIRM trial that he presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2011. Reading and watching time is approximately 6 …

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StopAfib.org - For Patients. By Patients - Stop Atrial Fibrillation

Apixaban Superior to Warfarin for Atrial Fibrillation Stroke Prevention

By Jennifer L.W. Fink Summary: The drug apixaban (Eliquis) was shown to be superior to warfarin for atrial fibrillation stroke prevention in a large study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. FDA approval of the drug is expected by March 28, 2012. Approximate reading time: 3–5 minutes November 30, 2011 — …

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