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You probably have felt your heartbeat quicken from time to time when you were anxious, scared or excited. But if you feel fluttering sensations in your chest on a regular basis, accompanied by fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath or lightheadedness, you could have a condition called atrial fibrillation, a type of heart rhythm disorder.

The Atrial Fibrillation Center at The George Washington University Hospital provides groundbreaking diagnostic and treatment options to help your heart.

More than two million Americans have atrial fibrillation, which is caused by abnormal electrical pathways in the heart. These pathways create signals that cause the heart's upper chambers (atria) to quiver, rather than beat effectively.

	Haroon Rashid, MD Director, Atrial Fibrillation Center
	Marco Mercader, MD Cardiac Electrophysiologist Assistant Professor of Medicine
	Allen Solomon, MD Director, Cardiac Arrythmia Services Professor of Medicine
	Cynthia Tracy Director, Electrophysiology Laboratories Professor of Medicine

Although younger people might have atrial fibrillation, it is more common in people over age 60, and they may have more severe symptoms and a higher risk of complications. Some of these complications may be life threatening. For example, blood that is not pumped out of the atria may pool and form clots, which can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

At The Atrial Fibrillation Center, a team of electrophysiologists -- specialists in the heart's electrical system -- use a variety of advanced techniques to help restore the heart's normal rhythm. The team includes Haroon Rashid, MD, Director, Atrial Fibrillation Center; Marco Mercader, MD, Cardiac Electrophysiologist; Allen Solomon, MD, Director, Cardiac Arrythmia Services and Cynthia Tracy, MD, Director, Electrophysiology Laboratories.

Technology Aids Advanced Treatment
Cardiac ablation, implantable cardioverter defibrillators and surgical therapies are used to treat some types of arrhythmia.

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a device that is implanted into a patient's chest to monitor heart rhythms and deliver shocks if dangerous rhythms are detected. Cardiac ablation is a nonsurgical procedure, so recovery time is minimal and other surgical risks are avoided.

Here's how cardiac ablation works: Even before the ablation is begun, a cardiac MRI or CT scan is performed to obtain an accurate picture of the heart structure and size. Then the catheters (thin wires) are threaded through a blood vessel in the groin, up to the heart. During the ablation procedure, the CT or MRI image is aligned with a 3-D map of the heart using a 3-D mapping system and intracardiac echo. Intracardiac echo helps ensure safety of the atrial fibrillation ablation procedure. "Intracardiac echo imaging creates a 'roadmap' for the ablation procedure," Dr. Rashid says. "This helps us to be extremely precise and reduces the incidences of short- and long-term complications." Doctors are able to pinpoint the exact site inside the heart where cells emit signals that stimulate the abnormal heart rhythm. At that spot, they apply radiofrequency energy (similar to microwave heat) that destroys only the abnormal pathways.

"Because we target and ablate multiple areas in the heart to treat atrial fibrillation, it's a technically demanding procedure that requires a lot of experience," Dr. Solomon says. "All the electrophysiologists at GW Hospital have been performing cardiac ablation for several decades, so we offer patients a high level of expertise."

Patients also benefit from the full care approach at the Atrial Fibrillation Center. "Coordination of care is very important here. We coordinate treatment with our patients' other cardiologists and internists to ensure that they get comprehensive care," Dr. Rashid says.

Could You Benefit From Treatment at the Atrial Fibrillation Center?
You might be a candidate for treatment if you have atrial fibrillation and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Medications have not been effective in controlling your atrial fibrillation.
• You cannot tolerate the side effects of atrial fibrillation medications.
• You cannot take anti-clotting medications.

If this is you, talk to your doctor about arrhythmia, or please call 1-888-4GW-DOCS to learn more.

900 23rd St., NW, Washington, DC 20037 (202) 715-4000