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Atrial fibrillation is not just another heart arrhythmia, but a fairly common condition that affects over 3% of the population. Dr. Dimitris Tsiachris, Interventional Electrophysiologist, Director of the Athens Heart Center, at the Athens Medical Center, speaks about the serious risks posed by the disease, but also the great possibilities that medical science has today for its treatment:

• What is Atrial Fibrillation and why does it concern us all?

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of heart arrhythmia and is caused by ectopic tissue in the pulmonary veins. It is an insidious disease, as its symptoms, mainly irregular heartbeats (the well-known flutter), are often mild, and patients do not pay attention to them.

However, it is particularly dangerous and threatening, as those who suffer from it face a high risk of heart failure and serious stroke. This is why it is important not to neglect the symptoms, but to consult a specialist. After all, there are now impressive possibilities both in investigating the disease and in treating it. For example, we have now reached the point where there are “smart” wristwatches, which have the ability, thanks to special sensors, to read the wearer’s pulse and detect fibrillation when it occurs.

• How is Atrial Fibrillation Treated?

Once atrial fibrillation is diagnosed, the most important thing is to determine the patient’s health profile, taking into account their age, whether they have other health problems and whether they need to be given anticoagulant medications. According to statistics, among Greek patients with atrial fibrillation, 8 out of 10 will need to take anticoagulants in order to avoid a stroke. It should be noted here that the stroke caused as a result of fibrillation is not simple or mild, but serious and usually results in some disability or even death.

However, if the fibrillation persists for a long time, then there is a risk of leading to heart failure and therefore it requires invasive treatment, using the ablation method. The technical possibilities of treating the disease invasively have improved significantly in recent years. In 50% of cases, which mainly concerns patients who are young, have a good health profile and the operation is performed correctly, the invasive treatment of atrial fibrillation leads to a cure. In the remaining 50%, the invasive treatment achieves the cure and proper management of the disease.

• What is ablation and how is it performed?

Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that does not involve incisions and is performed under light anesthesia. The surgeon inserts a special, flexible catheter from a vein in the thigh, through which it reaches the patient’s heart. There, he uses heat, cryosurgery, or pulse waves to create tiny scars that form a “fire zone” around the heart, interrupting the irregular electrical signals that cause fibrillation and restoring a normal heart rhythm. The procedure takes about 90 minutes, although new technologies of cryosurgery and pulse waves in the pulmonary veins, which are even safer and more effective (>80% in the paroxysmal form and >60% in the persistent form), have greatly reduced the time of the entire procedure. The Athens Medical Center is the only center in Greece that has all these modern technologies.

Here it should be noted that, thanks to the state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure of the Athens Medical Group and in collaboration with pioneering cardiac surgeons, there is the possibility of hybrid surgical ablation in very advanced forms of the disease with radical treatment of the arrhythmia and elimination of the risk of serious strokes and heart failure.