Is Laser Surgery The Best Approach For Irregular Heart Beats?

The news that laser surgery is being used with some success in treating irregular

heartbeat in both humans and pigs has people wondering if this is the new and the best answer for irregular heart beats.

The laser surgery in the news has not been FDA approved and still requires some testing before it becomes an "approved" or even desirable means of treatment. Even if approved it will only be acceptable in cases where other less invasive treatments have not worked.

In essence the procedure consists of a catheter with a laser inside, is inserted into the femoral artery threaded upward and into the heart, the use of an endoscope allows the surgeon to visually locate and target the misfiring cells responsible for the arrhythmia and "blast" them away using a laser, with what is said to be 100% accuracy. Previously this procedure was done by means of x-rays were taken beforehand and not as precise.

Though the procedure has worked with 27 patients who had been conclusively diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and who had been unsuccessfully treated with at least one drug therapy. This treatment had also been tested on pigs successfully. Approval of any procedure is imperative before it begins to be used generally, and even though an endoscopic procedure and catheter is less invasive than traditional surgery, it is still invasive and carries some risks.

In many cases, irregular heart beats will not cause many symptoms except for "palpitations." When the symptoms show then usually, drug therapy is tried as the least invasive means of treatment. Irregular heart beats may occur in episodes which are minimally disruptive such as a fluttering in the chest that resolves quickly or which occurs when the person is stressed, or they can be disruptive and cause a feeling of faintness or even loss of consciousness.

Atrial fibrillation can occur in conjunction with other risk factors or diseases or in younger persons with no other abnormalities or illnesses. 2.2 million US citizens currently have this form of irregular heart beats. In older persons, atrial fibrillation may be responsible for as many as 15% of all ischemic strokes.

Currently the usual means of treating irregular heart beats consists of screening for major heart diseases, which may be causing the problem. From there if the symptoms are disruptive or life threatening, drug therapies are tried. If no results are seen then methods vary, it depends of the severity of the episodes and whether a regular heartbeat can be resumed without assistance.

Some individuals use drug therapies and even have emergency "paddles" which administer a shock to the heart to restore it to a normal rhythm. In other cases where the problem is severe, a pacemaker may be used with a shock to stop the fibrillation, and then assists to restore a normal rhythm.

However, laser surgery certainly shows promise in treating irregular heart beats in some cases it will still require more testing and FDA approval to become commonly available. In the more severe cases where no other heart disease is found, it certainly could provide an excellent alternative to more heroic approaches to irregular heart beats.

by: BrianGarvin

POST COMMENT

Different types of spine surgery The Procedure Of Lasik Correction Surgery Male Nose Surgery For A Firm, Masculine Nose Double Eyelid Surgery - What Does it Involve? | We Care Get More Insight On Ambulatory Surgery Coding Bariatric Surgery Costs, Prices Gastric Bypass, Lap Band Surgery Duodenal switch surgery – how does it work? What is the Difference Between Gastric Bypass Surgery and Lap Band Cosmetic Surgery Gets Widespread Usage Get Your Youth Back with Facelift Surgery Cosmetic surgery in Prague: safe and reasonable What Are The Different Types Of Bariatric Surgery? Suggestions To Have Cosmetic Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery