AFib, a Serious but Treatable Heart Condition

What do Larry Bird, Howie Mandel, and Barry Manilow have in common?  They’ve all been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, or AFib, the most common type of heart arrhythmia.

Arrhythmias are disorders that produce abnormal heart rhythms when there is a change from the normal sequence of electrical impulses. This can cause the heart to pump less effectively.  AFib is an abnormal rhythm where the top chambers of the heart fibrillate or wiggle, instead of beating in sync. The symptoms of AFib – a racing heartbeat, palpitations, and chest pain – can affect the patient’s quality of life. 

If left untreated, AFib may lead to a weakening of the heart muscle, worsening of congestive heart failure, and even a stroke.  Because AFib causes many different problems in many different people, treatment strategies vary for each person.  Traditional treatments include: 

• Medications to slow down a rapid heart rate
• Electrical cardioversion to help restore a normal heart rhythm using an electric shock delivered under anesthesia
• Radiofrequency Ablation
• Open heart surgery  
• Pacemakers implanted to help produce a more normal heart rhythm

William Gionfriddo, M.D., is the Associate Chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Saint Francis Hospital, where he has pioneered the use of Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) to treat patients suffering from AFib. PFA is a minimally invasive procedure that uses high-energy electrical pulses in targeted areas of the heart to treat irregular heart rhythms. PFA not only requires shorter procedure times than other clinical approaches, but it also supports better recovery and long-term results. 

“The three main reasons we now use PFA almost exclusively for atrial fibrillation ablation is because it is safer, faster, and our data shows that it has been more efficacious in preventing recurrence of A-fib.  Our data shows freedom from symptomatic A-fib of 86% after one year, “said Dr. Gionfriddo. 

Three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping is another treatment option in Dr. Gionfriddo’s toolkit. Electroanatomic mapping provides a 3D model of the heart that can be referenced during the ablation. “It allows for accurate anatomic assessment and shows where the catheters are in relation to the cardiac anatomy in real-time,” said Dr. Gionfriddo. “We also use intracardiac echocardiography to directly visualize the catheters in the heart, allowing us to cut down on complications and procedure time. In some cases, we can even visualize lesion formation during ablation, increasing efficacy of the procedure.” 

If you suspect you may be suffering from AFib, contact your Primary Care Physician (PCP) for an initial evaluation of your symptoms. Depending on the outcome of that evaluation, your PCP may recommend a follow-up visit with a cardiologist who specializes in Cardiac Electrophysiology.

You can learn more about Trinity Health Of New England’s Cardiac Electrophysiology program here.