Cardiac Consult: A Cleveland Clinic Podcast for Healthcare Professionals It’s Not just HOW You Do but WHEN You Do an Ablation
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Apr 30, 2020 Ayman Hussein, MD, a staff cardiologist specializing in electrophysiology and ablation strategies, dives into the complexities of atrial fibrillation (AFib). He highlights that AFib is a progressive disease requiring tailored ablation timing and techniques for optimal results. Hussein emphasizes the importance of early intervention to improve symptoms, reduce heart failure risk, and enhance quality of life. He presents compelling data showing that earlier ablation leads to better outcomes, challenging traditional views on treatment timing.
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AFib Is A Progressive Continuum
- Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a progressive continuum rather than fixed categories like paroxysmal or persistent.
- The longer AFib exists, the more structural and electrical remodeling occurs, making control harder.
Prioritize High‑Quality Ablation Lesions
- Create high-quality lesions with good contact, force, and sufficient power to avoid recurrences and post‑ablation flutters.
- Focus on lesion quality rather than relying solely on varied strategies or labels for procedural approaches.
Target The Posterior Left Atrial Wall
- Include the posterior left atrial wall as a standard ablation target because it often houses triggers and shares embryologic origin with the veins.
- Use focused, distributed lesions (debulking) on the posterior wall rather than only straight linear lines to reduce flutters.