Aa
PVI Ablation
Is Pulmonary Vein Isolation the best kind of Catheter Ablation to treat Atrial Fibrillation?
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Thank you both so much for the information. I really appreciate it.
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I think we've talked about my experience before, but to add to Brooke's information I'll say I had a mini-maze done during open heart surgery to repair my mitral valve. The surgeon said the maze had about a 60% chance of success for my case - which includes an enlarged left atrium. I was in NSR out of surgery and it held for about 30 days, then back into AFib. I think this is one of the reasons my doctors won't do an ablation on me.
I think normal size left atrium helps, as does not being in AFib for a long period of time. I don't make it on either account. Happily, my symptoms are tolerable.
I'd say give it a try. I think it would be wonderful to get off of all medications.
I think normal size left atrium helps, as does not being in AFib for a long period of time. I don't make it on either account. Happily, my symptoms are tolerable.
I'd say give it a try. I think it would be wonderful to get off of all medications.
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Open-Heart Maze Procedure:
During the Maze procedure, surgeons create multiple cuts into the muscle of the atria and then stitch them together. These incision lines interfere with stray electrical pathways and circuits. The lines reduce the size of atrial tissue sections needed to maintain atrial fibrillation. Due to its complexity of the procedure, only a few medical centers in the US perform this type of procedure.
A "Keyhole" procedure which is less invasive compared to the Maze Procedure:
Cardiac surgeons access the heart through small incisions in the right and left chest walls. By accessing the heart from the side of the chest, surgeons avoid having to split the breastbone (sternotomy). Avoiding sternotomy reduces pain and recovery time for most patients, enabling them to resume normal daily activities sooner. Minimally invasive surgery also leaves smaller, less-noticeable scars than open heart surgery, has a lower risk of infection, and may involve less blood loss. My cardiologist and EP Dr have suggested this procedure to me, but I have yet to make my decision about it.
If you've never been through a PVI, than I think that it is worth a shot before venturing into the others that I mentioned. I just thought I'd include other options for you to read about.