What Is AFib?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
7. Surgical Intervention
Chronic and severe AFIB may require surgical intervention. Surgeries differ according to the condition, but the aim in each case is to help the heart pump more efficiently and prevent damage to the heart. The most common surgery is electrical cardioversion, which can normalize the electric impulses.
Catheter ablation is another option in which the surgeon removes any tissues that may be causing the abnormality of the heart rhythm. Atrioventricular node ablation prevents the signals coming out of the atria to reach the ventricles. The final surgery is the maze surgery, which is only used if the medicine and other surgeries fail.
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