Atrial Fibrillation

Diagnosis
The doctor will:

• Ask about your symptoms and medical history
• Perform a physical exam
• Listen to your heart with a stethoscope
• Order blood tests to help diagnose the problem

Imaging tests may include:

• Chest X-ray
• Echocardiogram
• Coronary angiography

Electrical activity tests of your heart can be done with:

• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Holter monitor

Treatment
The goals of treatment are to:

• Return your heart to a regular rhythm.
• Keep your heart rate close to normal. In general, your resting rate should be between 60-80 beats per minute. It should be 90-115 beats per minute during moderate exercise.
• Prevent blood clots from forming, reducing the risk of stroke.

Download our treatment guide. 

Your doctor may find another condition that is causing atrial fibrillation. This condition may be treated. In some cases, heart rhythm problems return to normal without treatment. Treatment options include:

Medical Drug Therapy. Medications may be used to:

• Slow the heart rate
• Keep the heart in a regular rhythm
• Prevent clot formation

Weight Management

Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise may reduce the frequency, duration and severity of atrial fibrillation episodes.

Procedures Performed by St. Elizabeth's Medical Center's Electrophysiology Services:

• Cardioversion. This procedure uses an electrical current or drugs to help normalize the heart rhythm.
• Catheter Ablation. An area of the heart that is responsible for atrial fibrillation may be surgically removed or altered.
• Convergent Approach. At St. Elizabeth's, patients with the most difficult-to-control atrial fibrillation can be treated with an ablation procedure. During this procedure, a cardiac surgeon and electrophysiologist work as a team to perform a cardiac ablation. This is a a minimally invasive approach in which a cardiac surgeon makes a small incision in the patient's abdomen and then performs an ablation across the back wall of the heart. The next day, the electrophysiologist threads an ablation catheter through the patient's femoral vein in the groin to reach the inside of the heart to complete the ablation and ensure they are connected. Electrophysiology diagnostics are then used to confirm the abnormal electrical signals were interrupted. At St. Elizabeth’s, most patients treated with the Convergent Approach are able to go home within two to three days, resume a more active lifestyle, and may be able to stop taking medication to treat atrial fibrillation.
• Watchman Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Implant. For appropriate patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) St. Elizabeth’s offers the Watchman Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Implant, an alternative to long-term warfarin medication that is designed to help reduce the risk of stroke in patients with AF. For patients with atrial fibrillation who are considered suitable for warfarin by their physicians but who have reason to seek a non-drug alternative, the Watchman LAAC is an implant alternative to reduce their risk of AF-related stroke. Roughly the size of a quarter, the Watchman device closes off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA) to keep harmful blood clots from the LAA from entering the bloodstream and potentially causing a stroke. By closing off the LAA, the risk of stroke may be reduced, and, over time, patients may be able to stop taking warfarin. Implanting the Watchman Device is a one-time procedure that usually lasts about an hour. Following the procedure, patients typically need to stay in the hospital for 24 hours.