What is

+ Afib?
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is the most
common type of cardiac arrhythmia. An
arrhythmia is any heart rhythm disorder
where the heartbeats are inconsistent and
in an Afib patients case irregular.
The heart consists of 4 chambers, the
upper two are called the atria, and the
lower two are called the ventricles. Afib
occurs when fast and disorganized
electrical signals cause the walls of the
atria to contract rapidly, or fibrillate,
instead of contracting normally. As a
result, the atria stop working properly and
dont pump all their blood into the
ventricles. If all the blood doesnt flow into
the ventricles, the blood that remains,
pools in the atria. When the blood pools in
the atria, clots can form. This increases
the risk of strokes because part of a clot
can break off and travel to the brain.

What are the symptoms of

Afib? The most common symptom is a
quivering or fluttering heartbeat.
Additional common symptoms are the
following:

General fatigue

Rapid and irregular heartbeat

Fluttering or thumping in the

chest

Dizziness

Shortness of breath and anxiety

Weakness

Faintness or confusion

Fatigue when exercising

Sweating

Chest pain of pressure

What causes Afib?

About 30% of Afib cases are tied to
genes that are passed down from
generation to generation. A research
published in December 12th, 2008 issue
of the journal Cell indicated that the

gene NUP155 has been found to be

involved in the genetic form of Afib.
Researchers have traced the gene
responsible for Afib in one family and
found that family members with two
copies of the variant developed
symptoms of Afib, and some suffered

+Fibrillation Triggers
Atrial

Medical procedures: Its well-known that heart surgery is a major t

Recreational Drugs: Over-the-counter cough and cold medications c

Stress: Stress is a common trigger of atrial fibrillation, Vasaiwala say

Dehydration: Dehydration can trigger atrial fibrillation. Low levels of m

+
Types of
Atrial
Fibrillation

1) Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

In paroxysmal (par-ok-SIZ-mal) atrial fibrillation (AF), the faulty electrical signals and rapid he
2) Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Persistent AF is a condition in which the abnormal heart rhythm continues for more than a we
3) Permanent Atrial Fibrillation
Permanent AF is a condition in which a normal heart rhythm can't be restored with treatment

+ is Afib diagnosed?
How
EKG: An EKG is a simple,

painless test that records

Echocardiography

Transesophageal

the heart's electrical

(echo): uses sound

Echocardiography:

activity. It's the most

waves to create a

Transesophageal (trans-

useful test for diagnosing

moving picture of your e-SOF-ah-ge-al) echo, or

AF. An EKG shows how

heart. The test shows

TEE, uses sound waves

fast your heart is beating

the size and shape of

to take pictures of your

and its rhythm (steady or

your heart and how well heart through the

irregular). It also records

your heart chambers

esophagus. The

the strength and timing of and valves are working. esophagus is the
electrical signals as they
Echo also can identify passage leading from
pass through your heart.

areas of poor blood flow your mouth to your

A standard EKG only

to the heart, areas of

records the heartbeat for

heart muscle that aren't upper chambers, the

a few seconds. It won't

contracting normally,

detect AF that doesn't

stomach. Your heart's

atria, are deep in your

and previous injury to

happen during the test. To the heart muscle
diagnose paroxysmal AF, caused by poor blood

chest. They often can't

your doctor may ask you

flow. This test

doctor can see the atria

to wear a portable EKG

sometimes is called

much better using TEE.

monitor that can record

transthoracic (trans-

During this test, the

your heartbeat for longer

thor-AS-ik)

transducer is attached

periods. The most

echocardiography. It's

to the end of a flexible

common type of portable

painless and

tube. The tube is guided

EKG is a Holter. A Holter

noninvasive (no

down your throat and

monitor records the

instruments are

into your esophagus.

hearts electrical activity

inserted into the body). You'll likely be given

for either 24 or 48 hours.

For the test, a device

medicine to help you

You wear small patches

called a transducer is

relax during the

called electrodes on your

moved back and forth

procedure. TEE is used

chest. Wires connect

over your chest. The

to detect blood clots

these patches to a

device sends special

be seen very well using

transthoracic echo. Your

portable recorder.

What are the treatments of

Afib?
Radiofrequency ablation or catheter
ablation
A catheter (thin, flexible tube) is inserted
into the patients blood vessels and is
gently guided to the heart. The physician
carefully destroys malfunctioning tissue
using the catheter to deliver energy (such
as radiofrequency, laser or cryotherapy) to
scar the problematic areas. The scarred
areas will no longer send abnormal
signals. If successful, the heart will return
to a normal rhythm. This minimally
invasive procedure usually has a short
recovery period. Patients are generally
placed on a short course of antiarrhythmic drugs while the procedure
takes full effect.
Open-heart
maze procedure
Maze heart surgery is a complex procedure
in which a surgeon creates small cuts in
the upper part of your heart. The cuts are
then stitched together and scar tissue
forms. The scars interfere with the
transmission of electrical impulses that
can cause AFib. Normal heartbeat is then
restored.
Wolf Mini Maze

The Wolf Mini Maze procedure, named after Dr. Randall K. Wolf, require