NEWMARKET, Ontario, May 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that can be done to treat patients with atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm problem. Some patients are in atrial fibrillation all the time and suffer from palpitations, shortness of breath and fatigue. Until recently, it was believed that you had to perform extra ablation on top of the standard procedure to get better results. Thanks to the findings of a new international research study, however, the simplest and fastest way to treat persistent AF by ablation has proven to be as effective as the other two most common, more complicated, techniques that require additional intervention. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Approaches to Catheter Ablation for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation , was led by Dr. Atul Verma, Electrophysiologist and Director of Arrhythmia Services at Southlake Regional Health Care Centre in Newmarket, Ontario. The study followed 589 patients with AF, from 48 centres, in 12 countries. They were enrolled between November 2010 and July 2012. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three procedures. One was the "standard" shorter procedure which involves using small wires inside the heart to burn away abnormal tissues around the pulmonary veins (an area that has been shown to transmit electrical signals that trigger AF). The other two procedures involved adding more ablation to the standard procedure. Patients were then rigorously monitored each week for 18 months. In the end, doctors involved in the research study were surprised to learn that patients experienced the same, if not better results, after undergoing the shorter "standard" ablation procedure compared to patients who had the more extensive procedures. Affecting millions of people worldwide, including 200,000 Canadians, AF is a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat rapidly and erratically, disturbing the heart's ability to adequately pump blood to its lower chambers and the rest of the body. The condition is responsible for 15 to 20 per cent of all strokes, is a contributor to heart failure and is a leading cause of hospitalizations, causing debilitating symptoms and poor quality of life. "The results are dramatic and will likely change guidelines that currently recommend doing more involved interventional procedures to treat AF," said Dr. Verma. "Although we often think that doing more is better for the patient, it is important to test this in proper clinical trials. Sometimes more is not better." "I am thrilled that we have produced this level of research here at Southlake. This really speaks to the cutting-edge, international caliber of cardiac care we offer," says Dr. Verma. "I'm very happy that data from our hospital has the potential to change practice around the world and make a difference for the patients we treat." The full study is available on the New England Journal of Medicine's website: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa14...tured_home About the Regional Cardiac Care Program
The Regional Cardiac Care Program at Southlake recently celebrated 10 years of excellence in cardiac innovation and treatment. As the third largest program in Ontario, the talented team of healthcare professionals has transformed 100,000 lives by providing patients with advanced cardiac services and state-of-the-art, internationally renowned treatment, closer to home. The Program services patients from three Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) – Central, Central West, and North Simcoe Muskoka, has the largest electrophysiology and complex ablation program in Canada, and completed close to 12,000 advanced cardiac procedures in 2013-14.
Kathryn Perrier Media and Government Relations Specialist Southlake Regional Health Centre 596 Davis Drive Newmarket, ON L3Y 2P9 (905) 895-4521, ext. 6068 Cell: 289-221-9190 www. southlakeregional.org
