Atrial fibrillation awareness: Detection and treatment options

September is National Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) awareness month, which is an important time to emphasize the importance of detecting and treating AFib. AFib, is a type of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) that causes numerous debilitating symptoms.

Symptoms of AFib range from fatigue, chest palpitations or pounding, chest pain or pressure, difficulty breathing, dizziness or fainting.

Unfortunately, some patients are found to have AFib only after having a stroke. Some people with AFib feel no symptoms at all.

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center offers a variety of minimally invasive treatment options for AFib and is on the forefront of procedure options for this potentially life-threatening condition. Leaving persistent AFib untreated can lead to blood clots, stroke and heart failure, as well as other heart-related complications.

The heart has groups of specialized cells that generate electrical impulses that travel through natural pathways from the top chambers to the bottom chambers of the heart (from the atria to the ventricles). These impulses make the heart contract and pump blood efficiently. In AFib, there are changes in the structure of the atria that result in abnormal electrical firing creating uncoordinated and ineffective atrial contractions.

Blood can pool in the atria forming clots that if dislodged can travel to the brain, causing a stroke. The heartbeat in AFib becomes irregular and can result in very fast or slow heart rates because of this abnormal electrical activation.

As an electrophysiologist on the medical staff of Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Dr. Matthew Klein encourages patients to seek medical attention immediately if they are experiencing AFib symptoms, and says, “Knowing if a person has AFib is important. It is associated with a fivefold increased risk of having a stroke, a threefold risk of developing heart failure and a twofold risk of both dementia and mortality. AFib strokes are likely to be more severe than non-AFib related strokes.”

Conditions that predispose patients to develop AFib include age over 60, coronary artery disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, heart valve disease, prior heart surgery, sleep apnea, hyperthyroidism, diabetes and alcohol abuse.

Patients with suspected or proven AFib need a full history and physical exam. An electrocardiogram should be done to confirm the diagnosis. There are devices like Holter monitors and event recorders that are worn by the patient and monitor the heart during days or weeks. All patients with AFib should have an echocardiogram done by a cardiologist to detect any underlying heart disease. Blood thinners are indicated if the risk for stroke is significant.

Treatment options depend on how long, often, and severe the AFib episodes occur. Treatments range from the use of medications, noninvasive procedures (cardioversion and catheter ablation), to hybrid procedures where cardiac surgeons and electrophysiologists work together to get the patient back into a normal heart rhythm.

AFib treatment options offered at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center include:

• Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
• Convergent Procedure
• Laparoscopic Atrial Fibrillation Surgery
• Watchman

Dr. Klein concludes, “We have a unique and great opportunity to treat patients that have AFib. Treating AFib successfully improves quality of life, reduces mortality, and decreases the potential for developing strokes and other cardiac conditions.”