A newly-posted video from an evening presentation by Dr. James Edgerton at Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2009 provides a rare glimpse into the evolution of atrial fibrillation surgery, including the mini maze procedure, and gives a peek at its future as well. See video from actual afib surgeries.
Learn more and see the video: Dr. James Edgerton on Atrial Fibrillation Maze Procedure Evolution
Hi Doctor,
I’m a 78 year old male who recently found out that I was in Arial fibrillation. My pulse rate is consistently low 60 bpm, I walk 3 miles every day and generally feel good. I have a history of heart disease including a mild heart attack 10 years ago. I have normal ventricle output. I have leaky heart valves however my doctors’ aren’t concerned with them. My Question: Am I a candidate for an ablation? My doctor is saying that my atrium is too large to consider an ablation – 5.7 cm, he feels that I will only return to Afib?
Mel,
It sounds like you’re generally healthy and take care of yourself, and that’s a major criteria for having ablation (or surgery).
The leaky valves may be related to the enlarged atrium. Typically an atrium over 5.0 -5.5 cm is considered difficult to ablate, but there may be some EPs that will do so as it’s judged on an individual basis. It couldn’t hurt to ask around among EPs.
I’ve heard Dr. Edgerton mention that many of his patients have generous atria, so it might also be that surgery is a good option. You might check with a surgeon as well.
You can find doctors that specialize in afib here: http://www.stopafib.org/find.cfm
Good luck.
Mellanie