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Atrial Fibrillation

Saint Vincent's Atrial Fibriallation (AF or A-fib) program is a leader in the region. Regarded as Erie's Afib Center of Excellence, Saint Vincent has been the regions leader in innovative care and management for all atrial fibrillation patients. If you or a loved one thinks that their Afib could be better manager, talk to one of our electrophysiologists about what they can do for you. Our electrophysiologists are also vailable throughout the region in Corry, Meadville and Westfield.  To contact one of Saint Vincent's Atrial Fibrillation experts, call 814- 456-9197.

What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of irregular heartbeat and is found in about 2.2 million Americans. The risk of AF increases with age, particularly after age 60. According to the CDC, AF affects roughly 1 in every 10 persons aged 80 years or older.

Saint Vincent is one of the regions leader in working with patients to correct irregular heart beats. With a team of electrophysiologists dedicated to Afib and a developed post procedure team, Saint Vincent is able to offer you more options for treatment and more permanent options then what are available elsewhere in the region.

If you have AF, the impulse does not travel in an orderly fashion through the atria. Instead, many impulses begin simultaneously and spread through the atria and compete for a chance to travel through the AV node. The firing of these impulses results in a very rapid and disorganized heartbeat. The rate of impulses through the atria can range from 300 to 600 beats per minute. Luckily, the AV node limits the number of impulses it allows to travel to the ventricles. As a result, the pulse rate is often less than 150 beats per minute, but this is often fast enough to cause symptoms. The AV node limits the number of impulses that travel to the ventricles.

What Are the Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation?

You may have atrial fibrillation without having any symptoms at all.
If you have symptoms, they may include:

  • Heart palpitations (a sudden pounding, fluttering, or racing feeling in the chest)
  • Lack of energy; feeling over-tired
  • Dizziness (feeling faint or light-headed)
  • Chest discomfort ( pain, pressure, or discomfort in the chest)
  • Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing during normal activities or even at rest)

What Causes Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is associated with many conditions, including:

  • High blood pressure
  • Coronary artery disease (hardening of the heart arteries)
  • Heart valve disease
  • Having undergone heart surgery Chronic lung disease
  • Heart failure Cardiomyopathy (disease of heart muscle that causes heart failure)
  • Congenital (present at birth) heart disease
  • Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs) 

In at least 10% of people with AF, no underlying heart disease is found. In these people, AF may be related to alcohol or excessive caffeine use, stress, certain drugs, electrolyte or metabolic imbalances or severe infections. In some people, no identifiable cause can be found.

How Is Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosed?

Four tests are used to diagnose atrial fibrillation, including:

  • Electrocardiogram
  • Holter monitor
  • Portable event monitor (also called a loop recorder)
  • Transtelephonic monitor

These monitoring devices help your doctor learn if you are having irregular heartbeats, what kind they are, how long they last, and what may be causing them.

What are the treatment options for atrial fibrillation?

At Saint Vincent Heart and Vascular Center, we offer a comprehensive treatment plan specifically designed to manage your atrial fibrillation. With a dedicated team of experts and the region’s most cutting edge technology, Saint Vincent provides a range of treatment options for atrial fibrillation, including: 

  • Medical management
  • Cardioversion to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm
  • Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators that bring the heart back into a proper rate and rhythm
  • Catheter-based ablations to block the areas of the heart that are causing atrial fibrillation
  • The maze and mini-maze surgical procedure to restore normal blood flow

If you think you may suffer from atrial fribrillation, please contact 452-5000.
 
Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.This information is courtesy of webmd. HIL File CARD4291.RF2 VRS# 6101 Data Version 7.0
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