Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, along with 25 other hospitals, tested out a chilling technique to slow the heartbeat during trauma. For unknown reasons, some people suffer from atrial fibrillation, which can cause the heart to beat fast and irregularly. Recently, doctors have tested a new therapy that uses a freezing balloon to stop the problem.
How it all works
Right now doctors use a series of surgical techniques and heat to calm the heart, but this new therapy seems to offer more advantages. “The new technique reduces procedure time compared to heat ablation and probably reduces the risk of stroke because we spend less time in the left atrium,” says Fred Kusumoto, a cardiologist who specializes in electrophysiology at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.
The results of the study
The clinical study involved 245 patients. Out of that group, 69.9 percent of patients were free from atrial fibrillation with the new technique, compared to 7.3 percent of patients treated only with medication. “We are hoping that in the long-run cryoablation (the name of the technique) will be a procedure that can restore normal heartbeat with fewer risks and complications,” says Dr. Kusumoto.
The procedure has been approved by the FDA and is now in the infant stages of being used at hospitals around the world.
More about atrial fibrillation and its effects
This condition, which affects about 3 million Americans, occurs when the four chambers of the heart aren’t pumping systematically, causing heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and overall body weakness. According to the Mayo Clinic website, “Although atrial fibrillation itself usually isn’t life-threatening, it is a serious medical condition that sometimes requires emergency treatment. It can lead to complications. Treatments for atrial fibrillation may include medications and other interventions to try to alter the heart’s electrical system.”
Doctors believe this new techniques shows real promise for future treatment options.
