The Kansas City Heart Rhythm Symposium



Dear Readers

Hope everyone had a great summer. With the kids back in school I am sure life has restored its normalcy. We are at the half way point of the year. In Kansas City, we are looking forward to the World Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Day on September 8th and the Kansas City Heart Rhythm Symposium on August 17th and 18th.

In this issue of journal, there are amazing featured reviews and case reports. Ranolazine has historically been an angina drug. Thanks to its antiarrhythmic properties, we have an additional choice to the limited arsenal in the antiarrhythmic drug arsenal in treating atrial fibrillation. James Reiffel and group presented a case report where Ranolazine has been successfully used for rhythm control. Boolani et al have presented their case about the use of stereotaxis for the successful navigation, mapping and ablation of arrhythmias involving complex anatomic chambers of congenital heart disease.

We learn about the role of echocardiography and CT/MRI for evaluation of AF and periprocedural aspects of AF ablation. The current state of primary prevention of AF has been elegantly described by Massimo Imazio in his featured review. Daoud et al discuss the importance of AF burden in further risk stratification for stroke prophylaxis in patients with AF. None of the traditional scoring systems currently incorporate AF burden in the stroke risk assessment. Post AF ablation atrial tachycardia is not an uncommon problem. Pappone et al reviewed the diagnosis and management of AT their excellent review article.

Akutsu et al presented a very comprehensive imaging view point on the role of atrial structural remodeling in patients undergoing AF ablation. Fish oil is a dietary supplement of great interest in the cardiovascular disease prevention. Results on the role of fish oil in AF prophylaxis have been conflicting. Kassotis et al present the current literature on the use of fis oils in the prevention of AF. On the same note Fauchier et al discuss the role of statins in AF. Mansour et al discussed the current evidence on the safety and efficacy of Apixiban for stroke prophylaxis in patients with AF. In their original paper Jonsson et al presented their experience on the use of microwave ablation in mitral valve surgery for AF. This seems to be a very promising approach in patients with longstanding persistent AF who have simultaneous mitral valve issues. A 35% improvement in rhythm control using the additive microwave ablation strategy is worth nothing.

Have a great rest of the summer and will talk to you all in Fall.

Best wishes

Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy MD, FACC, FHRS Associate Editor JAFIB