What Treatments Are Available For Atrial Fibrillation?
There are essentially 2 strategies for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. • Rate Control: To control the ventricular rate to prevent deterioration in the functioning of the bottom chambers (main pumping chambers) of your heart and maintain blood thinners (warfarin). This can involve: • Various medications that can slow the ventricular rate down. • An ablation procedure whereby the AV node is ablated (destroyed) and pacemaker insertion. Because of the risk that atrial fibrillation may cause blood clots in the heart most patients with this heart rhythm disturbance will require blood-thinning medication to prevent blood clots forming. At your doctors discretion this may either be with aspirin or warfarin. This information sheet primarily relates to the use of this procedure for your atrial fibrillation. • Rhythm Control: Therapies aimed at trying to maintain normal rhythm. This may involve: • Medication. In some people these medicines can be very effective. In others however, the medic
