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Use of MRI to Personalize Atrial Fibrillation Treatment and Avoid Stroke – Presentation by Dr. Nassir Marrouche at HRS

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At Heart Rhythm Society 2010, we saw intriguing new research into personalized atrial fibrillation treatment and stroke prevention that was presented by Dr. Nassir Marrouche and Dr. Marcos Daccarett of the Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research and Management (CARMA) Center at the University of Utah Health System.

They have developed a way, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to personalize atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment by “staging”, which determines whether catheter ablation will likely stop the AF based on the degree of fibrosis in the atrium. The extent of atrial fibrosis also was found to correlate with stroke risk. The stage indicates appropriate catheter ablation treatment and whether anticoagulation is needed following the procedure. The researchers indicated that the best results come from intervening early into atrial fibrillation.

To further validate the effectiveness of the Utah AF staging system, they have initiated a multi-center clinical trial that will involve a number of centers worldwide, including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Loyola, the University of Pennsylvania, and CHU Bordeaux.

Read more: Personalized Atrial Fibrillation Treatment Using New Method to "Stage" AF

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Anonymous

The author failed to disclose the doctors and universities financial ties to MRI manufacturer Siemans. I believe that "predictive" value based on fibrosis has a error rate around 15 percent. Seems fairly high to be considered accurate or useful. Also "The stage indicates appropriate catheter ablation treatment and whether or not anticoagulation is needed after the procedure". When my procedure was done by him he told me "everyone gets a PVAI(pulmonary vein antrum isolation). As far as anti coagulation that to is one month before and three months after standard treatment. So I don't know what this personalized treatment is that he talks about. It is standard RF ablation with a pre ablation MRI image used for guidance. That's it. FYI Intermountain healthcare is using RF ablation even in people with severe heart failure with good outcomes.

July 10, 2011 - 12:21am

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Mellanie True Hills
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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