Atrial Fibrillation

Advanced AFib Treatment

At UMass Memorial Health, we understand the unique risks and challenges facing people living with AFib. We are nationally recognized for our expertise in AFib and were the first in New England to introduce breakthrough catheter ablation treatments to our patients. Our comprehensive Atrial Fibrillation Program provides the expertise, support and advanced treatments you need for a better quality of life. 

What Is Atrial Fibrillation? 

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular, usually very fast, heartbeat. It starts in the atria, the two upper chambers of your heart. AFib is the most common type of heart rhythm disorder. When you have AFib, the upper and lower chambers of your heart don’t work in unison as they should. The lower chambers can’t deliver enough blood to your body and lungs, which results in symptoms like breathlessness and fatigue. AFib can also cause blood to pool in your heart, which can lead to blood clots or a stroke. 

Types of AFib include:

• Paroxysmal (occasional AFib that comes and goes)
• Chronic (AFib lasting longer than a week)
• Long-term (AFib that lasts longer than a year)
• Permanent (persistent, treatment-resistant AFib)

Heart Ablation for AFib 

Our electrophysiologists offer a range of minimally invasive procedures to ease AFib symptoms and reduce your risk of stroke, without open surgery.

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is a type of catheter ablation for AFib. Abnormal electrical signals usually start in your pulmonary veins, which carry blood from your lungs to your heart. During PVI, an electrophysiologist guides a catheter through a vein in your groin to the area where the veins meet your heart. They deliver cold (cryoablation) or heat (radiofrequency ablation) to destroy the tissue sending abnormal electrical signals. 

UMass Memorial was the first center in Massachusetts and the second in the U.S. to offer POLARx Cryoablation System for AFib. Electrophysiologists use an expandable balloon catheter to deliver a cooling agent to select pulmonary veins. The procedure is faster and more precise than traditional cryoablation. 

Pulsed-Field Ablation – The Newest Catheter-Guided AFib Therapy

UMass Memorial was the first commercial site in the Northeast to offer an advanced procedure called pulsed-field ablation for AFib. The procedure uses short bursts of electrical energy instead of heat or cold to stop abnormal electrical impulses. It causes less damage to surrounding tissue and has fewer side effects than traditional cryoablation or radiofrequency ablation. 

Left Atrial Appendage Closure – WATCHMAN

The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a pouch attached to the upper-left side of your heart. When you have AFib, blood clots can form in the pouch. If a clot escapes, it can cause a stroke. LAA closure is a catheter-guided procedure to seal off the pouch using a device called the WATCHMAN. Learn more about our expertise in left atrial appendage closure.  

Surgery for AFib

People with chronic AFib whose symptoms haven’t improved with other treatments may benefit from surgical ablation. We can also do surgical ablation if you need surgery for another heart condition. During surgical ablation, we place a clip on the left atrial appendage to reduce your risk of stroke due to blood clots. 
 

Convergent Hybrid Ablation

Convergent hybrid ablation for AFib combines minimally invasive surgery and catheter ablation into a single procedure. The convergent approach is less invasive than open-heart surgery but more effective than catheter ablation alone for people with severe arrhythmia. 

During the two-phase procedure, a cardiac surgeon makes a small incision in your abdomen. They insert a probe with a video camera that wraps around to the back of your heart. Your surgeon makes a series of burns on the outside of your heart to block irregular electrical signals. Then an electrophysiologist ablates the inside of your heart using a catheter.