New Treatment Option for Atrial Fibrillation At Mayo Clinic Hospital

Tuesday, October 28, 2003

Media Contact: Anne Tewksbury
Public Affairs
480-301-4368
www.mayoclinic.org/scottsdale/

For Immediate Release – October 28, 2003

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Mayo Clinic Hospital now provides Atrial Fibrillation Ablation, a new non-pharmacologic treatment option for those who suffer with intermittent episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is a heart disorder characterized by a chaotic, irregular rhythm in the upper chambers of the heart, and it affects about two million Americans each year. AF Ablation uses radiofrequency energy to disconnect electrical activity and allow the heart to renew normal function.

Because AF can lead to a higher incidence of stroke and heart problems down the road, in addition to being very uncomfortable, it's important that it be treated, according to Gregory Altemose, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist who specializes in electrophysiology. AF Ablation has potential risks, but it can eliminate symptoms of heart racing, breathlessness, dizziness and fatigue.

"We've come a long way from the days when this type of treatment was done by an open heart procedure," says Dr. Altemose. "We've been doing about one or two AF Ablation cases a week and, of those, about 80 percent have experienced relief from their symptoms and even those patients whose symptoms persisted after the procedure reported less frequency of AF and better results from their medications."

Dr. Altemose adds that patients who seem to have the best results from this procedure are those who suffer intermittent, but not permanent, bouts of AF for whom medications have not been successful. The best candidates for the procedure are generally healthy individuals who are highly symptomatic and feel a great deal of discomfort when they have episodes of AF.

The procedure typically requires two cardiologists in the operating suite and may take anywhere from four to eight or more hours to complete. The patient generally is only required to be hospitalized overnight and can resume normal activity within days.

Mayo Clinic is a private group practice of medicine dedicated to providing diagnosis and treatment of patient illnesses through a systematic focus on individual patient needs. As a leading academic medical center in the Southwest, Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale focuses on providing specialty and surgical care in more than 66 disciplines at its outpatient facility in north Scottsdale and at Mayo Clinic Hospital. The 205-bed hospital is located at 56th Street and Mayo Boulevard (north of Bell Road) in northeast Phoenix, and provides inpatient care to support the medical and surgical specialties of the Clinic, which is located at 134th Street and Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale.

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