Comprehensive AFib and Heart Rhythm Care in East Texas
Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, has become a big problem in heart patients. Atrial fibrillation occurs when there is a problem with the electrical system with the heart, which refers to the heart’s pacemaker. In a healthy heart, the heart beats on a consistent rhythm. However, when a patient is in AFib, the rhythm gets off beat. The UT Health East Texas Heart & Vascular Institute’s AFib Clinic offers a comprehensive array of treatments for atrial fibrillation, ranging from medication to advanced procedures when indicated. Every patient is different and our team will work with you to determine the best treatment option based on your symptoms and medical history.
Symptoms of atrial fibrillation
AFib is very common, with one out of every 10 people over the age of 65 developing this condition. However, patients with AFib often have other heart-related issues as well, such as heart failure and leaky valves. Other health problems like smoking, COPD, sleep apnea, diabetes and obesity can greatly increase a patient’s chance of developing AFib.
The most common symptom of AFib is an irregular heart beat, which many patients can feel in the form of palpitations, or the feeling of a skipped heart beat. It can also present as a racing heart, shortness of breath, or a lightheaded or dizzy feeling. However, about 15-20% of patients do not have symptoms at all. This makes AFib a very dangerous condition because it can be hard to know it’s there without further testing.
Like any medical condition, AFib should be properly assessed based on symptoms and the likelihood of negative outcomes that include heart failure, recurrent hospital admissions, strokes and death for any given patient. Assessing symptoms, as well as morbidity and mortality, and determining the best treatment path is a complicated process performed by trained cardiac electrophysiology (EP) specialists.
AFib can cause clots to form in your heart that can lead to stroke. In fact, AFib is responsible for about 20% of strokes each year. Other complications include heart failure, leaky valves and increased risk of heart attacks. That’s is why proper assessment and treatment is crucial.
Atrial fibrillation treatment
Treatment of AFib has rapidly evolved over the last decade, thanks to a better understanding of which treatment strategy to choose at a given point in time based on the individual patient’s disease progression. Choosing the right treatment strategy initially is important in order to achieve best response and outcome.
The main treatment option is non-surgical. Depending on the patient, we’ll treat AFib with medicine that will slow down your heart rate to help with those racing heart symptoms. Then we’ll give you medication to help your heart rate return to a normal beat. We’ll also use a blood thinner to prevent any blood clots. Another option is to shock your heart back into rhythm.
There are a few surgical options that we can do as well. We reserve these for people who haven’t been able to get their symptoms under control with the medication.
Our surgical options include:
- Catheter ablation: The procedure works by taking a catheter, or IV up through your groin to your heart and freeze the areas that are causing the AFib. This is great for people who haven’t had this condition for years and years, or it comes and goes and it’s constant.
- Convergent procedure: This is a set of procedures, starting with the cardiothoracic surgeon. The surgeon will make a small incision just under the breast bone to the back of the heart where all of those signals come from and burn them, turning that area into scar, which neutralizes those signals. Once you’ve recovered, the electrophysiologist will go in and do a catheter ablation (see above). Recovery is about two days in the hospital after the first surgery, but patients will need to take it easy for a few weeks. Usually about six weeks later, you’ll go back in for the catheter ablation and most people go home the same day.
- Watchman device implantation: Some patients, who cannot tolerate standard blood thinners due to unforeseen bleeding, may qualify for implantation of the Watchman™ left atrial appendage closure device. The Watchman™ implant is a one-time procedure designed to reduce the risk of strokes that originate in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Once implanted, the parachute-shaped, self-expanding device permanently closes off the LAA and does not require replacement. The procedure takes about an hour to complete and is performed by staff who are specifically trained in the implantation technique
AFib can be very tricky to treat, which is why we offer a variety of treatment options. Talk to your doctor about which treatment might be right for you.