Atrial Fibrillation Services

Atrial fibrillation, also called A-fib, is the most common abnormality in the heart's rate or rhythm. Atrial fibrillation originates in the atria, the upper chambers of the heart. There are a variety of causes, including thyroid problems, pulmonary embolism, overeating, and alcohol use. When healthy, the heart beats in a regular, coordinated way. Atrial fibrillation causes the atria to quiver or fibrillate. This can lead to an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), heart failure, or stroke. The goals of treatment are to eliminate contributing factors, control the heart rate, maintain heart rhythm, and prevent negative outcomes, while decreasing the use of unnecessary medications.

We treat all three types of atrial fibrillation: sporadic episodes that resolve on their own, episodes that last longer and require treatment, and instances when the heart remains in fibrillation and needs constant correction.

At THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano, you may have a number of treatment options ranging from medication therapy, catheter ablation (using energy to destroy the tissue causing the problem), device implantation (such as pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators), and minimally invasive surgical intervention. In every case, we will work with you to make the decision that is in your best interest.

We provide the following advanced services for atrial fibrillation:

• Stereotaxis, which is a magnet-guided catheter system
• CartoMerge^TM, a combination of 3-dimensional CT imaging and real-time mapping to guide catheter ablation
• Radiofrequency ablation, which heats catheters with radiofrequency energy and destroys the tissue that is causing the atrial fibrillation
• Thermal (Cryo) ablation, in which cold energy is used to kill the damaging tissue

To learn more about atrial fibrillation, visit the following sites:

• The Heart Rhythm Society
• UpToDate
• CardioSmart
• American Heart Association
• www.stopafib.org

For a referral to an physician on the medical staff at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano who specializes in electrophysiology, call 1.800.4BAYLOR or use the Physician Finder tool on this website.