Is ablation better than drugs?
Catheter ablation, a common cardiovascular procedure, appears no more effective than drug therapies in preventing strokes, deaths, and other complications in patients with atrial fibrillation.Mar 15, 2019
What is the most effective treatment for AFib?
Heart rate medicines: The most common way to treat atrial fibrillation is with drugs that control your heartbeat. These slow your rapid heart rate so your heart can pump better. You may need other drugs. Some are called beta-blockers.Oct 21, 2021
What is the success rate of ablation for atrial fibrillation?
When the procedure is repeated in patients who still have atrial fibrillation after the first procedure, the overall success rate is approximately 85-90 percent. Persistent atrial fibrillation can be eliminated in approximately 50 percent of patients with a single procedure.
Is cardiac ablation worth the risk?
Catheter ablation does have some serious risks, but they are rare. Many people decide to have ablation because they hope to feel much better afterward. That hope is worth the risks to them. But the risks may not be worth it for people who have few symptoms or for people who are less likely to be helped by ablation.
What is the newest treatment for AFib?
Newly Approved Treatments A new medicine called edoxaban has been cleared to prevent blood clots and stroke in patients with AFib. Edoxoban is also a NOAC (non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant).Jan 31, 2019
What is the life expectancy of a person with AFib?
Amongst the group of patients aged between 55-74 years, the 10 year mortality was 61.5% in men with AF compared to 30% in men without AF. Amongst women in a similar age group, the 10 year mortality was 57.6% in the AF group versus 20.9% in women without AF. Similar findings have been found from many other cohorts.
Who is a good candidate for cardiac ablation?
An individual who has very bothersome symptoms, such as palpitations, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and exertional fatigue that is not responsive to at least one concerted effort at antiarrhythmic drug therapy, is a candidate for catheter ablation.Jun 20, 2013
Does heart ablation shorten life span?
The study published in Heart Rhythm shows cardiovascular mortality dropped by 60 percent among adults who had their normal heart rhythm restored through catheter ablation.Jul 30, 2014
How serious is heart ablation surgery?
In general, cardiac (heart) catheter ablation is a minimally invasive procedure and risks and complications are rare. Catheter ablation may require an overnight stay in the hospital though most patients can return home the same day as the procedure.Aug 18, 2020
Do you gain weight after cardiac ablation?
The patients also have to keep the weight off for up to a year. Patients who quickly gained the weight back or even gained more than they weighed at their ablation had the worst outcomes." Over the course of three years, Dr. Bunch followed more than 400 patients who had had the ablation procedure.Nov 8, 2015
How do I get rid of AFib forever?
When you have atrial fibrillation, or AFib, your heart has an irregular, sometimes quick rhythm. The condition can boost your chances for a stroke, heart failure, or other heart problems. Right now, there's no cure for it.Aug 14, 2020
Do you have to take blood thinners after an ablation?
Catheter ablation, which destroys a small area of heart tissue that's causing the problematic beats, is recommended for high-risk patients. Patients typically continue to take blood thinners, regardless of whether the ablation procedure was effective.Mar 17, 2017
What is the best treatment for AFIB?
One of the primary treatments for AFib is the use of oral medications . These can include several options such as blood thinners, rate controllers and rhythm controllers. Blood thinners can help prevent clots or treat existing blood clots.
What are the options for atrial fibrillation?
Fortunately, there are two main types of options available: medication and catheter ablation.
What is the best medicine for slow heart rate?
Beta blockers or calcium channel blockers are useful for controlling your heart rate. Sodium channel blockers and potassium channel blockers can be used to slow heart rhythm. Oral medications are cost-effective and non-invasive. This can be beneficial for those on a budget or who may be concerned about recovery times.
Is catheter ablation better than medication?
In fact, several research trials have found that catheter ablation offers more benefits than medication. One study followed patients over eight years and found that those who had ablation were less likely to be admitted to a hospital.
Commonly prescribed drugs include
Rate control medications (these include beta blockers and calcium channel blockers). These medications lower the pulse rate in those patients that happen to have a fast pulse (average >110bpm) in AF. They do not fix the other consequences of AF such as stroke, earlier onset dementia, and shorter lifespan (mortality).
Catheter Ablation as A Curative Option
Catheter ablation represents a relatively low risk and highly effective curative procedure for many common heart arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation. It is particularly suitable for patients who do not wish to begin or continue a medication regimen or for whom medication is causing significant side effects or unacceptable results. 1
Other Options
Of course, some abnormal heart rhythms require alternate solutions such as a pacemaker with an AV node ablation. Fortunately, options are improving at an astounding pace and now include leadless pacemakers that require no incision and are delivered through a catheter.
Facts About Atrial Fibrillation and Catheter Ablation
Atrial fibrillation often impairs quality of life, independent of its severity, plus AF is associated with an increased risk of stroke. AF is the most common type of arrhythmia, where the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat becomes disordered, with the heart beating too fast or too slow or with an irregular rhythm.
Results of the Study
For the study, Morillo and colleagues compared ablation to drug treatment as a first-line therapy for paroxysmal AF in patients who had never received treatment. Participation transpired at 16 centers in Europe and North America and included 127 patients: 66 received radiofrequency ablation, while 61 received antiarrhythmic medication.
The CAPTAF Clinical Study
The CAPTAF trial enrolled 155 symptomatic patients with paroxysmal or persistent A-Fib at four Swedish centers and at one center in Finland.
Summarizing the Results
About the difference in quality of life, Dr. Carina Bloomstrom-Lindqvist, principal CAPTAF investigator, explained that continued treatment with an antiarrhythmic drug in the drug group of patients compared with no drug treatment in the ablated patients “is absolutely the explanation” for the observed difference in quality of life.
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Does a Successful Catheter Ablation Have Side Benefits? How About a Failed Ablation?
