By: Ali Khoynezhad, M.D., Ph.D., Medical Director, Aortic and Arrhythmia Surgery, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute, Long Beach Medical Center

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of treated heart arrhythmia. It’s estimated that the prevalence of AFib will rise to 12.1 million individuals diagnosed by 2030 in the United States. An arrhythmia is when the heart beats too slowly, too fast, or in an irregular way. During AFib, the normal beating of the heart becomes irregular. This can lead to stroke, can impact blood pressure, reduces the heart’s ability to move blood through the body, ultimately affecting the body’s vital organs. Some people experience AFib as a brief episode (paroxysmal), while others must manage it as a permanent condition.

Some people with AFib have no symptoms and are unaware of their condition until it’s discovered during a physical examination. Those who do have AFib symptoms may experience signs and symptoms, such as:

  • Palpitations, which are sensations of a racing, uncomfortable, irregular heartbeat or a flip-flopping in your chest
  • Weakness
  • Reduced ability to exercise
  • Fatigue
  • Lightheadedness
  • Dizziness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain

AFib significantly increases a person’s risk for stroke. AFib is associated with a four- to five-fold increased risk of ischemic stroke. and causes about 1 in 7 strokes. AFib is easier to treat early after the diagnosis. The longer a patient has had AFib, the more challenging it is to maintain normal rhythm.

The MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute has launched the first pivotal study of its kind that utilizes the specialized skills of both the cardiac surgeon and electrophysiologist called Dual Epicardial and Endocardial Procedure (DEEP). With this hybrid team-based approach, surgeons create ablation lines (procedure that scars tissue in your heart to block abnormal electrical signals) on the outer surface of the heart (epicardial), and electrophysiology cardiologists later create ablation lines on the inner surface of the heart (endocardial). These ablation lines stop conduction of the electric signals that cause AFib. This leads to better treatment results of atrial fibrillation than just one approach alone. This is one example of how the expert team of specialists at the MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center are advancing the field of cardiovascular care through groundbreaking research.

DEEP clinical trial aims to help people suffering from AFib by establishing the safety and effectiveness to allow for the treatment to be offered to a larger population of patients. Thus far, results have been encouraging with the ability of the hybrid surgical and catheter ablation approach showing signs of being able to restore regular rhythm in patients with persistent and long-standing persistent AFib.

To learn more about how the MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute is at the forefront of heart disease innovation, visit memorialcare.org/ComplexHeart.