Are there any new treatments for AFib?

Oklahoma Heart Hospital now offers a new treatment option for patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AFib) . In fall 2020, the FDA approved the Thermocool Smarttouch Catheter for use in AFib patients. This new treatment offers better long-term results for those with persistent atrial fibrillation.

“The success rate of a single procedure for recent onset atrial fibrillation is 70-75% . Compare that to the success rate of 30% with drugs. Even if the patient needs a second ablation, it rises to 80-85%, which is much better.”

The Mini-Maze procedure provides an alternative to conventional catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) . It may be used in patients with chronic, persistent AF.

If a scalpel is used to create the maze pattern, open-heart surgery is necessary. This is called the surgical maze procedure. It’s the preferred method of atrial fibrillation treatment in those who need another heart surgery, such as coronary artery bypass surgery or heart valve repair.

When the procedure is repeated in patients who still have atrial fibrillation after the first procedure, the overall success rate is approximately 85-90 percent . Persistent atrial fibrillation can be eliminated in approximately 50 percent of patients with a single procedure.