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 patient’s 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

don’t pump all their blood into the

ventricles. If all the blood doesn’t 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.

During Afib, the ventricles

contract from the heart’s

electrical activity. However,

the abnormal electrical signal

traveling from the atria makes

the ventricles beat faster than

normal. As a result, the

ventricles don’t pump blood

efficiently. This can lead to

heart failure, a condition in

which the heart can’t pump

enough blood to meet the

body’s needs.

+

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

death in early childhood.

NUP155 is apparently the cause.

Researchers then studied mice

and found that these with two

defective copies of NUP155 died

early and those with one copy

shared signs of Afib. NUP155 is

involved in shutting other

molecules in and out of the cell

nucleus. when NUP155 is

mutated it leads to a decline in

expression of Hsp70 and the

heart is unprotected from

damages, which is why atrial

fibrillation develops. Other

genes responsible for Afib are

KCNE2, KCNJ2, and KCNQ1

genes.

However, Afib is not always

passed down genetically. It can

affect anyone with other heart

conditions such as:

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Atherosclerosis

Heart valve disease

Congenital heart disease

Cardiomyopathy

Pericarditis

When no other conditions are

associated with Afib, it’s known

+

3

++ Atrial Fibrillation Triggers

percent for several hours.

your heart rate by 20 to 100

same effect, possibly raising

Marijuana can have the

the only drug culprits:

your heart, but they aren't

Afib because they stimulate

cold medications can trigger

Over-the-counter cough and

2. Recreational Drugs:

one.

procedure, even a minor

you have any medical

fibrillation history before

know about your atrial

your heart.” Let your doctor

physical stress, stimulates

such as emotional or

flight-or-fight response,

“Anything that triggers the

Dr. Vasaiwala says.

procedure can be a trigger,”

type of surgery or medical

for atrial fibrillation, but any

surgery is a major trigger

well-known that heart

1. Medical procedures: “It’s Cocaine can also trigger an

abnormal heartbeat.

3. Stress: “Stress is a common

trigger of atrial fibrillation,”

Vasaiwala says. ”Too much

stress is like a shot of

adrenalin to your heart.”

Identify your personal

stressors and take steps to

avoid or defuse them. If

you can’t rule out all

causes of stress, practice

stress-reduction techniques

to lessen the impact.

4. Dehydration: Dehydration

can trigger atrial fibrillation.

Low levels of minerals in

the blood (electrolytes),

especially potassium, can

trigger an abnormal heart

rhythm, and when you’re

dehydrated, electrolytes

are depleted. Dehydration

is most common in hot

weather, especially when

exercising outdoors, but it

can also result from an

illness that includes

Types of Atrial Fibrillation

can't be restored with treatment. Both paroxysmal and persistent AF may become more frequent and,

normal heart rhythm condition in which a Permanent AF is a Fibrillation

3) Permanent Atrial with treatment.

own, or it can be stopped week. It may stop on its continues for more than a abnormal heart rhythm condition in which the Persistent AF is a

Fibrillation2) Persistent Atrial

in less than 24 hours.about a week, but usually severe. They stop within Symptoms can be mild or then stop on their own. rate begin suddenly and signals and rapid heart (AF), the faulty electrical SIZ-mal) atrial fibrillation In paroxysmal (par-ok-

Fibrillation1) Paroxysmal Atrial

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

painless test that records

the heart's electrical

activity. It's the most

useful test for diagnosing

AF. An EKG shows how

fast your heart is beating

and its rhythm (steady or

irregular). It also records

the strength and timing of

electrical signals as they

pass through your heart.

A standard EKG only

records the heartbeat for

a few seconds. It won't

detect AF that doesn't

happen during the test.

To diagnose paroxysmal

AF, your doctor may ask

you to wear a portable

EKG monitor that can

record your heartbeat for

longer periods. The most

common type of portable

EKG is a Holter. A Holter

monitor records the

heart’s electrical activity

for either 24 or 48 hours.

You wear small patches

called electrodes on your

chest. Wires connect

these patches to a

portable recorder.

+Echocardiography

(echo): uses sound

waves to create a

moving picture of your

heart. The test shows

the size and shape of

your heart and how well

your heart chambers

and valves are working.

Echo also can identify

areas of poor blood flow

to the heart, areas of

heart muscle that aren't

contracting normally,

and previous injury to

the heart muscle

caused by poor blood

flow. This test

sometimes is called

transthoracic (trans-

thor-AS-ik)

echocardiography. It's

painless and

noninvasive (no

instruments are

inserted into the body).

For the test, a device

called a transducer is

moved back and forth

over your chest. The

device sends special

Transesophageal

Echocardiography:

Transesophageal (trans-

e-SOF-ah-ge-al) echo, or

TEE, uses sound waves

to take pictures of your

heart through the

esophagus. The

esophagus is the

passage leading from

your mouth to your

stomach. Your heart's

upper chambers, the

atria, are deep in your

chest. They often can't

be seen very well using

transthoracic echo. Your

doctor can see the atria

much better using TEE.

During this test, the

transducer is attached

to the end of a flexible

tube. The tube is guided

down your throat and

into your esophagus.

You'll likely be given

medicine to help you

relax during the

procedure. TEE is used

to detect blood clots

Radiofrequency ablation or catheter ablationA catheter (thin, flexible tube) is inserted into the patient’s 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 anti-arrhythmic 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. 

ablation on one side of the heart.Atricure Hand Piece, performs the see the heart directly. A special tool, the areas through a thoracoscope, and to surgeon to maneuver the tools, view of the chest. These incisions allow the 5cm and two 1cm incisions on each side after Dr. Randall K. Wolf, requires one The Wolf Mini Maze procedure, named Wolf Mini Maze

What are the treatments of Afib?

can't be restored with treatment. Both paroxysmal and persistent AF may become more frequent and,