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
Our A-Fib.com Video Library and My Top 5 Picks for the Newly Diagnosed
We have screened hundreds of A-Fib-related videos over the years and have carefully selected a short list for you. Our A-Fib library of videos and animations are for the reader who learns visually through motion graphics, audio, and personal interviews. These short videos are organized loosely into three levels:
♥ Introductory/Basic Level is for the newly diagnosed patient. Fundamentals of the heart’s electrical system, stroke risk and anticoagulation therapy, ECG/EKG, and catheter/surgical treatments. Helpful for the family and friends of an A-Fib patient, too.
♥ Intermediate Level is for the more informed patient. Videos offer details of the heart’s functions, types of heart monitoring devices, specifics of catheter ablation, maze and hybrid surgeries, and closure of the Left Atrial Appendage.
♥ Advanced Level videos offer a more extensive look at cardioversion, ECGs/EKGs, ejection fraction, catheter ablations/EP lab and maze/mini-maze surgeries. (May requires basic understanding of cardiac anatomy and A-Fib physiology.)
We invite you to browse our A-Fib library of videos and animations and try out a few of our titles.
Top 5 Videos for the Newly Diagnosed Patient
The newly diagnosed A-Fib patient has lots of questions. What is A-Fib? How do I deal with my symptoms? What are my treatment options? How does it impact my family? For answers, start with these videos.
1. Introduction to How a Normal Heart Pumps Blood
A short video about the path of a red blood cell through the heart’s four chambers to deliver oxygen to the body and then return to be re-oxygenated. Animation with narration. (Don’t worry about remembering the terminology, just follow the flow of the red blood cell). By The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (1:00 min.) Go to video.
2. Stroke Prevention in A-Fib and Anticoagulant Therapy
Through interviews and animations explains how atrial fibrillation can cause stroke and why anticoagulation is so important; Discussion of: warfarin (Coumadin), the required monitoring, interactions with food, alcohol and other drugs: newer anticoagulants (NOACs) that do not require regular testing, aren’t affected by foods [but are expensive]. On-camera interviews with AF Association CEO, Trudie Lobban MBE and other experts (5:36) Developed in association with the drug maker, Boehringer Ingelheim. Go to video.
3. The EKG Signal and Conduction System of the Heart
The EKG signal
Excellent illustration of the heart and a fully labeled graphic of the ‘Conduction System of the Heart’. Descriptive text accompanies each step in the animation. First a normally beating heart, the electrical signal path and corresponding EKG tracing. Then the same heart in Atrial Fibrillation with EKG tracing of the heart in A-Fib. Go to video on the American Heart Association website.
4. About Magnesium Deficiency with Dr. Carolyn Dean
Most A-Fib patients are deficient in Magnesium. “The Best Way to Supplement Magnesium” with Dr. Carolyn Dean, the author of The Magnesium Miracle. Getting nutrients through food is not always possible; discusses side effects of too much and how you can tell if you have a deficiency. (3:39). Go to video. See also: “Importance of Balancing Calcium & Magnesium“ (1:00)
5. When Drug Therapy Fails: Why Patients Consider Catheter Ablation
Dr. Susan M. Sharma discusses why patients with atrial fibrillation turn to ablation when drug therapy doesn’t work. Presenting research findings by David J. Wilber MD; Carlo Pappone, MD, Dr. Sharma discusses the success rates of drug therapy versus catheter ablation. Transcript of the narration is provided. (3:00 min.) From Insidermedicine.com. Go to video.
Disclaimer: Videos provided for your convenience only; we make no endorsement of a specific treatment, physician or medical facility.
For more videos,
visit our A-Fib.com Video Library
Steve Ryan Videos
We’ve edited Steve’s most interesting radio and TV interviews to create several short (3-5 min.) videos. Check out Videos Featuring Steve S. Ryan, PhD, publisher of A-Fib.com.
