Interesting AF video

Hybrid Maze procedure for stubborn AF (Atrial Fibrillation)

by Gemita - 2022-07-04 11:18:17

AgentX86 this is an excellent 40 min video for new and established AF sufferers alike.  

An American disease, not so sure?  AF is finding its way everywhere and while it can be due to lifestyle, clearly sometimes there are no reasons why some of us develop AF.  

Having always thought persistent/permanent AF was unstoppable, the Hybrid Maze is showing promise.  I believe a cure was even mentioned?

Thanks

by Gotrhythm - 2022-07-04 12:06:30

Although I don't have it myself, I have a friend with A-fib. As part of her support team I'm always looking for good explanations and discussion of treatment options.

Hybrid Maze

by AgentX86 - 2022-07-04 12:40:54

That's why I posted it.  Not only is it a new technique but it's the best explination of Afib I've seen. As a bonus, it shows what an ablation does and infers why it's so important to catch it early and keep it under control. It hits all the bases, if not explicitly. It should have gone a little deeper here  but it wasn't the purpose of the video.

The full Cox maze procedure is the gold standard.  It's almost always successful but isn't worth cracking the chest open to do it.  If they're already in there, absolutely.  They did amaze on me while they did my CABG.  They also clipped my LAA (also described in the video).  They ran out of time (on the heart-lung machine) so didn't do some other stuff. It fixed my Afib, sure enough, but gave me flutter as a bonus. Can't win for losing.

I think they describe it as an "American disease" because of how fast it's growing here.  Some of that has to be the ageing of the population but it can't be all there is to it. As they said, it's probably diet, though I'd think the huge drop in smoking would help a lot.  Europe seems not to have gotten that memo.

Maze

by godrew - 2022-07-04 14:41:10

I had a maze procedure when I had my myectomy procedure in 2012.  Worked for about 8 years then back in AF.  A few cardio versions later I had an ablation in 2021.  Pacemaker in early 2022.  Everyone feels AF different, some don't feel it at all (that's what dr says) I feel horrible when I am in AF I can't even do 1 flight of stairs.  I would love for there to be a permanent cure for AF in near future.  

Maze

by AgentX86 - 2022-07-04 16:06:55

Godrew, did you have a full maze or a 'mini-maze",  where they use laproscopic surgery to access the heart.  It surprises me that they would crack the chest for a mastectomy but this is an area where I'm competely in the dark.

Myectomy

by godrew - 2022-07-04 16:19:04

I had a septal myectomy for cardiomyopathy, the maze was done while my sternum was already sawed open.  

Maze

by AgentX86 - 2022-07-04 23:50:56

Sorry, I can't read worth a damn.  Gotcha. Makes sense.