The UMCG is the first treatment center in the Benelux to apply a new, revolutionary technique for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
The common cardiac arrhythmia is treated with an electric field, which creates small scars in the tissue where the arrhythmia originates. The scar tissue ensures that unwanted stimuli from that location are blocked.
Research has shown that the new technique is very effective. A year after the procedure, most patients no longer experience symptoms of atrial fibrillation. In addition, the new method is fast and has a much smaller chance of complications, according to the hospital. “The patients went home the same day and experienced no problems,” says Yuri Blaauw, head of clinical electrophysiology at the UMCG. “In this way we can help many more patients in a safe way in the future. An important gain, because there are many patients with atrial fibrillation and there is a long waiting list.”
The treatment serves as an alternative to other treatments, in which the scar tissue is applied by heating or freezing. “A disadvantage of treatment with heat or cold is that complications can arise because surrounding tissue or nerves can be damaged,” says Blaauw. “This can, for example, lead to a failure of the diaphragm, which makes people temporarily short of breath. This occurs in about 2 in 100 patients. Another dreaded, but rare, complication is damage to the esophagus.”
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