Hybrid Treatment of Advanced Atrial Fibrillation: A Best Practice Guide for the Subxiphoid Approach-Heart Team Collaboration

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker at the Atric conference emphasized the importance of heart team collaboration between electrophysiologists (EP) and surgeons for complex heart procedures. Highlighting the need for teamwork in challenging patients, such as those with structural heart disease or previous ablation failures, the speaker stressed that this partnership could enhance treatment outcomes. The talk underscored challenges with posterior wall ablation and the benefits of using a cooling esophageal balloon to mitigate complications. The speaker advocated for sharing mapping data and conducting joint clinics to facilitate better communication and coordination. Regular meetings to review case outcomes and discuss procedural changes were encouraged to optimize surgical and EP strategies. Ultimately, the speaker believed in a collaborative endo-epicardial approach to address posterior wall challenges effectively, promising better patient outcomes through shared knowledge and methodologies.

Keywords

heart team collaboration

electrophysiologists

posterior wall ablation

cooling esophageal balloon

endo-epicardial approach