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

Catheter Ablation Benefits Your Heart’s Pumping Ability

Published July 29, 2015

A-Fib is a progressive disease that over time re-models and changes your heart. One of the remodeling effects of A-Fib is a reduction in the heart’s pumping ability (that’s why you might feel faint or dizzy during an A-Fib episode).

Ejection Fraction: A Measure of Pumping Ability

A key indicator of heart health is your Ejection Fraction (EF), the percentage of blood that is pumped out of your heart by the left ventricle during each beat. A healthy heart has an EF between 50 to 75 percent; an EF below 50% means your heart is no longer pumping efficiently. An EF of less than 35% means a seriously weakened heart.

In a meta-analysis of 26 studies, researchers found additional ‘side’ benefits to catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. The studies involved 1,838 A-Fib patients who had undergone a catheter ablation. Post-ablation follow-up averaged 23 months.

EF Benefits of Catheter Ablation

Examining the patient follow-up data, researchers found a significant 13% improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (EF). In addition, there was a significant reduction in the number of patients who formerly had an ejection fraction of less than 35% (this means their EF ratio improved). Blood pressure levels were also improved.

Are there benefits from a catheter ablation even when the patient’s A-Fib has not been eliminated?

Benefits from Failed Ablation?

You may ask, do these side-benefits depend on the catheter ablation eliminating the patient’s A-Fib? No. Researchers have studied the follow-up data of failed ablations and found a few other ‘side’ benefits.

Some patients found their A-Fib symptoms were less intense or shorter in duration. (Might this ‘side’ benefit be attributed to an improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction?) In addition, some patients found they could take certain medications that prior to their ablation had been ineffective.

Conclusion

So, either way, a catheter ablation offers benefits. Even if you need a second ablation (or a third), know that you may still reap some substantial benefits from the previous “failed” ablation.

Dr Robert Fishel

Videos to learn more about Ejection Fraction: Your Heart’s Ejection Fraction (EF): What You Need to Know. In several short video clips, Dr. Robert Fishel, discusses the ejection fraction (EF) and why cardiac patients should know their EF.

♦ What is an Ejection Fraction? (:34)
♦ What is considered abnormal or low EF levels? (:44)
♦ Who should know their EF? (:54)

Dr. Robert Fishel is Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at JFK Medical Center.

References for this article

Catheter ablation in AF patients improves left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Arrhythmia Watch: An Educational Resource for Cardiac Rhythm Management. October 31, 2014. http://arwatch.co.uk/2014/10/catheter-ablation-in-af-patients-improves-left-ventricular-systolic-dysfunction/

Anselmino, M. et al. Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology. Published online September 28, 2014. http://circep.ahajournals.org/content/early/2014/09/28/CIRCEP.114.001938.abstract. doi: 10.1161/CIRCEP.114.001938