Spotlight Session: Early Stage, Emerging New Tech. and DrugsAtrial Fibrillation: Resources for Patients

Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...

"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."

Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."

Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI

“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.

Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017

“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”

Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...

"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”

Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia

"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."

Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France

"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

2022 AF Symposium

Spotlight Sessions: These feature products or devices still in development or not yet FDA approved. They give us a glimpse into what the future of A-Fib treatment may look like. This year 17 Spotlight products and treatments were presented in 5 minute talks.

Spotlight Session: Calculating Left Atrium Wall Thickness

Dr. Saman Nazarian

In this session Dr. Saman Nazarian of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA presented on “Personalization AF Ablation Based on CT Wall Thickness” by the company Circle Cardiovascular Imaging. [CT stands for Computerized Tomography.]

Left Atrium Wall Thickness: The left atrium wall thickness varies from 1 mm to over 5 mm in the roof area. If one applies too much RF ablation power to a thin wall, this can produce steam pops, esophagus damage, or phrenic nerve damage. If too little RF energy is applied to thicker left atrium wall areas, this can lead to Pulmonary Veins (PV) reconnection.

Measuring Wall Thickness: Using Computed Tomography (CT) to measure atrium wall thickness, Circle Cardiovascular Imaging, Inc. proposes to “ablate by LAW” (Left Atrium Wall thickness).

It uses computed tomography to measure wall thickness, segmentation, and calculates the distance between endo and epicardial layers.

These measurements can be incorporated into mapping systems. An ablation index value is developed based on Left Atrial wall thickness. The proper amount of RF energy can than be applied to various parts of the left atrium.