Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
Have their been any advances in this area in recently? *Watchman and *Lariat? I only see people talking about ablations and oral blood thinners all of the time. i'm not sure if these procedures are covered by insurance but if it can be a replacement for warfarin, coumadin or the wicked new expensive thinners etc. - it sounds like a strategy. - Tom
Some hybrid type procedures look really promising but insurance is yet to cover unless it is a last resort.
Paul
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2011/11/21/Hybrid-procedure-gives-another-option-to-those-dealing-with-atrial-fibrillation/stories/201111210196
http://afibbers.org/resources/LAA.pdf
The LAA has several important physiological functions[1-3]:
As it is more distensible than the left atrium itself it can act as a decompression chamber when left atrial pressure is high. Animal experiments have shown that eliminating access to the LAA results in an increase in the size and mean pressure in the left atrium.
The LAA is known to mediate thirst (at least in animals). Thus people without a LAA might have a greater tendency to become dehydrated.
Removal of the LAA has been shown to reduce stroke volume and cardiac output and may thus promote heart failure. Its removal could be particularly detrimental in patients with existing heart failure as it would further reduce their cardiac output and perhaps promote pulmonary congestion.
References
1. Stollberger, C, et al. Elimination of the left atrial appendage to prevent stroke or embolism? Chest, Vol. 124, December 2003, pp. 2356-62
2. http://asia.elsevierhealth.com/home/sample/pdf/749.pdf
3. Al-Saady, NM, et al. Left atrial appendage: structure, function, and role in thromboembolism. Heart, Vol. 82, 1999, pp. 547-55
petey
The LAA is a major endocrine organ and is the main producer of ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) in the human heart. The ANP concentration is 40 times higher in the LAA walls than in the rest of the atrial free wall and in the ventricles. A study of patients having undergone the maze procedure and associated LAA removal found a significantly lower ANP secretion and a commensurate increase in salt and water retention. Whether this could eventually lead to hypertension is not known.
Six of one and a half dozen of the other.
It seems there is/are pros and cos to just about everything related to this crazy illness/condition/disease/phenon, pain-in-the-you-know what - thing we call AFIB.