Pat Robertson, Founder and Chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), recently had the Convergent Procedure for his atrial fibrillation, which in this case was accompanied by removal of his left atrial appendage. The Convergent Procedure for atrial fibrillation involves radio-frequency surgery followed by a radio-frequency catheter ablation, both of which are done in a …
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This September, StopAfib.org marks the third year of celebrating Atrial Fibrillation Month to raise awareness of atrial fibrillation (afib), an expensive and life-threatening irregular heartbeat that is a common cause of stroke. StopAfib.org founder, Mellanie True Hills, knows the toll that atrial fibrillation takes on those with it and their families. After surviving blood clots …
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There is a lot of big news coming out of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) going on in Barcelona right now. Judging by attendance, this is probably the biggest cardiology event in the world. The big announcement for atrial fibrillation sufferers is the progress towards a replacement for Coumadin (warfarin) coming out of the …
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If you have atrial fibrillation, how do you know your risk of stroke and whether or not you should be taking Coumadin® or warfarin? Dr. Manish Shah talks about the CHADS2 scoring system that addresses this afib controversy and how your doctor will assess your CHADS2 score. Dr. Shah is …
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Dr. Manish Shah talks about Dabigatran and Rivaroxaban, new drugs in clinicals trials to replace the blood thinner Coumadin® (warfarin), an anticoagulant frequently used to avoid strokes by those with atrial fibrillation. He talks about the two categories of these new drugs, thrombin inhibitors and Factor Xa (10a) inhibitors. Dr. …
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In this video from Boston Afib Symposium 2009, Dr. Warren (Sonny) Jackman, venerable electrophysiologist and ablation pioneer, shares new information about how treating atrial fibrillation may help obstructive sleep apnea. The transcript is available at stopafib.org . Dr. Jackman retired from clinical practice at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences …
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Dr. Eric Prystowsky, a member of the atrial fibrillation guidelines writing committee, talks about what afib patients need to know about the guidelines and what they should ask their doctors. View the transcript at stopafib.org . Dr. Prystowsky is the director of the clinical electrophysiology laboratory at St. Vincent Hospital …
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Dr. Steven Hao talks about presentation of the atrial fibrillation ablation trial using the THERMOCOOL® Catheter at the Heart Rhythm Society 2009 annual meeting, improvements in customizaton technologies, and two upcoming catheter ablation studies, CABANA and RAAFT. Dr. Hao is Director of Electrophysiology for Northern California Heart Care and Director …
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Dr. David Wilber talks about the findings of a large multicenter trial of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation that was reported on at the Heart Rhythm Society 2009 annual meeting. He also discusses the window of opportunity for treating afib for those with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Dr. Wilber is the …
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Here in Part 2, Dr. Michael Argenziano talks about what's new in atrial fibrillation (afib) procedures, including implantation of tiny subcutaneous monitors that will record and send heart rhythms for evaluation by doctors for many years after surgery. See Part 1 for additional information about atrial fibrillation surgery. Dr. Argenziano …
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