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

Why Choose a Doctor Who Understands the Significance of Rotors?

Published February 24, 2016

After posting my article, Rotors! Rotors! Rotors! Good News for Patients with Persistent A-Fib (2016 AF Symposium), I was surprised when Patti said we didn’t have the term ‘rotors’ in our Glossary of A-Fib Terms. So we just added it:

Rotors: underlying drivers that sustain or propagate an A-Fib signal after it has been triggered (like an echo). Elimination of rotors by catheter ablation improves long-term freedom from A-Fib.

Why You Want a Doctor Who Understands the Significance of Rotors

The ability to diagnose rotors enables a more patient-specific treatment approach by focusing on just a few critical areas in each individual patient’s heart and results in fewer lesions (ablation scars).

Stay away from EPs who ablate only the pulmonary veins (PV).

This is important. You should stay away from EPs who ablate only the pulmonary veins (PV) and don’t check for non-PV triggers like rotors and focal points. That is a one-size-fits-all approach. (See my editorial: Huge Growth in Number of EPs Doing Catheter Ablations, But All EPs Are Not Equal)

A more reasonable approach tailors treatment to each individual’s specific physiology. This requires a more experienced EP and precise location identification using advanced mapping techniques (such as the FIRM Mapping and Ablation System by Topera/Abbott Laboratories or the ECGI/ECVUE system by CardioInsight Technologies/Medtronic).

What This Means to Patients

You want an experienced doctor (EP) who understands the significance of ‘rotors’; who will use advanced mapping techniques, when needed, to search for and isolate non-PV triggers.

You must do your due diligence to find the right EP. I know it’s a lot of effort. Don’t settle for an EP because their office is nearby. Be prepared to travel if that’s what it takes.

Remember: You must be your own best patient advocate.