Boosts Outcomes in
&
Treating Atrial Fibrillation
Advantages of Convergent Procedure: • Performed on the inside and the outside of a beating heart, without bypass; • Treatment metrics can be established, since the heart continues beating and the electrical activity is uninterrupted; • Intra-operative metrics may suggest improved long-term outcomes; • Potential for shorter hospital stays and faster recovery; and • Decreased number of repeat ablation procedures.
To date, the Convergent Procedure has been performed more than 200 times internationally. Since the first at Moore Regional Hospital, more than 40 AF patients have entrusted their hearts to Dr. Kiser, Dr. Landers and Ker Boyce, M.D., and outcomes have been 90 percent effective. That’s a big leap over outcomes when the procedures are done separately in this patient population. This is good news for the more than 40 percent of AF patients who have exhausted all existing treatment alternatives. More than 75 percent of patients are refractory to drugs within five years. Among the recent Convergent Procedure patients was Christian Broadcast Networking Inc. founder and 700 Club host Pat Robertson from Virginia Beach, Va. Drs. Kiser and Landers, who monitor patient progress after treatment, report, “He’s doing great and is in sinus rhythm (normal heart rhythm).” From 2005 to 2050, it is estimated that patients suffering from atrial fibrillation in the United States will grow from 5 million to 16 million. This increase is largely due to an aging population. Once considered a harmless annoyance, atrial fibrillation is now recognized as a dangerous condition that can increase the risk of death. Patients with atrial fibrillation are five to seven times more likely to have a stroke, and have an increased risk of congestive heart failure. The heart is a muscle that relaxes and contracts, pumping the blood that carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. The heart rhythm is controlled by electrical impulses that travel through the
heart, first through the upper chambers, called the atria; and then through the lower chambers, called the ventricles. Normally, the heart’s electrical system sends regularly spaced, predictable signals, telling the heart muscle to contract or beat. Atrial fibrillation is a type of rapid, irregular heartbeat. It occurs when a storm of electrical impulses spread through the atria in a chaotic and disorganized pattern, causing the atria to begin rapidly contracting, upwards of 400 times a minute. As a result, the electrical signals are transmitted to the ventricles, which also contract in a rapid irregular manner. When the heart is in atrial fibrillation, the efficiency of the heart’s ability to pump blood out to the body is reduced. As a result, the body lacks the oxygen and nutrients it needs. Symptoms related to rapid and irregular heart rate include palpitations – the sensation of an irregular pulse, fatigue or weakness, shortness of breath and limitations in a person’s ability to exercise. Stroke is the most devastating risk of atrial fibrillation. The atrium beats so rapidly that it is unable to move the blood into the ventricle. This causes stagnation of the blood in the upper chambers, where it can spontaneously form a clot. These blood clots sometimes break away, frequently traveling to the brain and causing a stroke. The clots can also travel to other organs and limbs of the body, which can be life threatening. Medications, such as aspirin or warfarin, can reduce this risk. “The common misconception of these medications is that they ‘thin’ the JUNE 2010 | The Triangle Physician
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