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Question:
What is the latest procedure for treatment of atrial fibrillation?
submitted by Ginny from Spring City, Tennessee, 9/19/08 What is the latest procedure for treatment of atrial fibrillation? My husband had an ablation done in July, 2006 and has been on Tikosyn and is to start Flecainide 50mg tomorrow & follow up with surgeon in 3 weeks for possible 'touch-up' surgery to get him off all medication.
Answer: by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, Mehdi Razavi, MD
Both catheter (non-surgical) based ablation and surgical procedures can be used to cure atrial fibrillation. These are usually done when the patient is symptomatic and one or more medicine has failed. There is great variability in each patient and physician's approach but in general surgical procedures are done either when ablative procedures have failed or in combination with other surgical procedures (such as valve replacement). In general surgical procedures are a bit more effective but also more invasive. The technologies employed in ablation are rapidly advancing both for catheter based and surgical ablations. Make sure you ask both your electrophysiologist (heart rhythm specialist) and surgeon regarding the experience they have with their respective procedures.
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Updated September 2008
