All Things Afib

Manuscript Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39153715/

Manuscript Link: https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jcmg.2025.03.013

https://www.annalsthoracicsurgery.org/article/S0003-4975(25)00543-0/abstract

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Vinay Badhwar, an internationally recognized master cardiac valve surgeon, and an expert in complex mitral valve repair, atrial fibrillation surgery, minimally invasive valve surgery, and robotic surgery.   The main topic under discussion is Dr. Vinay’s paper, “Robotic-assisted Cryothermic Cox Maze for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Longitudinal Follow-up” b...

Dr. Thomas Michael Tadros returns to the podcast to discuss the DECAAF II Randomized Clinical Trial. As a Board-certified Cardiologist and EP,  Dr. Tadros’ gives us the pros and cons and takeaways from this study, that advances AFib knowledge within our specialty.   The study, “Effect of MRI-Guided Fibrosis Ablation vs Conventional Catheter Ablation on Atrial Arrhythmia Recurrence in Pat...

Show Notes - All Things Afib - Episode 17 (16) - Medicare Cuts!!!! with Dr. Brett Gidney     Medicare is slashing reimbursement for AFib procedures during a time of record-setting inflation and an increasing number of patients (currently 6 million) suffering from AFib.  From an RVU (Relative Value Unit) of 26.44 in 2021, the payment is being reduced by FORTY PERCENT to 15.88 in 2023...

 Show Notes - All Things Afib - CAST-AF 2022 with Dr. Bradley Knight So many legends in the AFib world are excited about the upcoming Catheter and Surgical Therapies for Atrial Fibrillation (CAST AF) Conference happening at the end of August in Chicago. Here to speak with me about some of the sessions is my esteemed guest Dr. Bradley Knight, Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Bluhm Cardio...

Show Notes - All Things Afib - Episode 15: Dementia and Atrial Fibrillation with Dr. Jared Bunch  As doctors, we often don’t ask our patients (or their spouses) about “memory issues” or other signs of dementia, related to AFib.  We usually ask about stroke, clots, and other heart functions but neglect to ask about the brain.   My guest today is Dr. T. Jared Bunch, Head of Secti...

Show Notes - All Things Afib - Episode 14 - Tachycardia Mediated Cardiomyopathy - Dr. Ali Khiabani from Washington University in St. Louis Today I’m speaking with Dr. Ali Khiabani, MD, MHA who is currently a fifth-year post-graduate student at Washington University under the tutelage of Dr. Ralph Damiano Jr., one of the world’s leading Cox-Maze surgeons who himself trained under Dr. Cox. Dr. Khiab...

Some high-level takeaways from the paper:   Early initiation of rhythm-control therapy conveys a clear clinical benefit in patients with recently diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) Based on trial results, rhythm-control therapy should be offered to all patients with recently diagnosed AF and cardiovascular risk factors, including those who present without AF-related symptoms, in addition to a...

My guest for this episode is Dr. Ashkan Ehdaie, an Electrophysiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Ehdaie is currently an Assistant Professor of Cardiology and Associate Director of the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Training Program. I interview Dr. Ehdaie about the different types of Vtach, the risks and outcomes associated with treating each type, and we di...

Is one glass of red wine a day an acceptable amount of alcohol for patients diagnosed with AFib?  Is heavy drinking associated with an increase in AFib intensity or frequency?  Until quite recently, the thinking around AFib was that you either have it or you don’t.  But just as the medical community realized several decades ago that diet/lifestyle and alcohol consumption were import...