Q: My 62-year-old husband has been having episodes of arrhythmias or atrial fibrillation on and off for close to 10 years. At the direction of his cardiologist he’s tried all of the medicines traditionally used – warfarin, dilantin, flexcanaide, amiodarone and diltiazem among others. Right now he’s on a very expensive drug (Multaq) he must take with meals with fat in them and he’s still having episodes that last from six to 17 hours every six to seven days. Are there other alternatives to these drugs that work and/or the surgery we are considering?

We’ve been told ablation is non-invasive and stimulates the heart chambers but is successful only 50% of the time the first time and from 60 to 70% the second time which is six months later. The first procedure has a hospital fee of $80,000 or $30,000 outpatient, where, while he is currently insured, even the co-pay is beyond our means. How life-threatening are these episodes and would you recommend the surgery?

A: Atrial fibrillation (also known as A-fib) is an irregular heartbeat that results in poor blood flow from the upper chambers of the heart to the lower chambers of the heart. The heart is comprised of four chambers – two upper and two lower. With this condition the two upper chambers of the heart beat in an abnormal pattern that is out of sync with the two lower chambers. Episodes can come and go, much like those your husband experiences. Atrial fibrillation can lead to serious complications including blood clots which can lead to stroke and more. [Read more...]