Publications by authors named "Tzeis S"
Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) have recently released the 2024 guidelines for the management of AF. This review highlights 10 novel aspects of the ESC/EACTS 2024 Guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicine, and human healing more generally, have been constantly evolving for millennia as part of humanity's persistent efforts to heal its injuries and diseases, to maintain wellbeing, and to delay the inevitable: death. The philosophy underlying medicine has always been closely intertwined with the prevailing ideas in each historical period. Prejudices, religious beliefs, even magical herbs, as well as rational thought and advanced sciences, make up the fabric of over 2,000 years of western medicine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: The left bundle branch block (LBBB) is a strong predictor of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). However, a significant number of patients do not respond to the treatment. The study sought to evaluate the impact of the stricter Strauss criteria for left bundle branch block (St-LBBB) on CRT response, hospitalizations, ventricular arrhythmia (VA) events and mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The latest guidelines advocate for catheter ablation (CA) over standard medical therapy (SMT) for managing atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, significant knowledge gaps exist regarding the effectiveness of CA vs. SMT in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Enhanced characterization of the atrial electrical substrate may lead to better comprehension of atrial fibrillation (AF) pathophysiology.
Objective: With the use of high-density substrate mapping, we sought to investigate the occurrence of functional electrophysiological phenomena in the left atrium and to assess potential association with arrhythmia recurrences after catheter ablation.
Methods: Sixty-three consecutive patients with AF referred for ablation were enrolled.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates how gender affects decision-making for oral anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), using a large dataset of over 16 million patients from UK primary care between 2005-2020.
- It found that in patients aged 40-75 without prior strokes, women had a lower adjusted rate of primary outcomes (death, ischemic stroke, or thromboembolism) compared to men, primarily due to lower mortality rates in women.
- The study concludes that omitting gender from clinical risk scores could streamline the process of determining which AF patients should receive oral anticoagulation.
Purpose Of The Review: Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) provides real-time, fluoroless imaging of cardiac structures, allowing optimal catheter positioning and energy delivery during ablation procedures. This review summarizes the use of ICE in catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF).
Recent Findings: Growing evidence suggests that the use of ICE improves procedural safety and facilitates radiofrequency and cryoballoon AF ablation.
Article Synopsis
- Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is a new method for treating atrial fibrillation (AF) that focuses on ablating heart tissue while minimizing harm to nearby structures.
- In the MANIFEST-17K study, data from 106 centers involved 17,642 patients and showed no serious complications like esophageal damage, with only a 1% major complication rate.
- The results suggest that PFA has a strong safety profile and may change how AF is treated, compared to traditional thermal ablation methods.
Article Synopsis
- * Follow-up over approximately 29 months revealed that ILRs helped establish diagnoses in significant portions of these patients, particularly detecting issues like atrial fibrillation in those with a history of cryptogenic stroke.
- * The findings suggest that ILRs not only aid in diagnosis but also lead to changes in treatment strategies for around one-fourth of the patients, making them a valuable tool in cardiac evaluations.
Article Synopsis
- Ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become a widely accepted and effective treatment for managing this common heart rhythm disorder over the last 30 years.
- Since the initial consensus document in 2007, new research and technologies have significantly changed AF ablation practices, necessitating updates in 2012 and 2017.
- A new consensus document was recently created by various cardiac societies to provide a current framework for selecting and managing patients for catheter or surgical AF ablation, reflecting the evolving nature of the field.
Article Synopsis
- * The first expert guidelines for AF ablation were published in 2007, and updates were necessary in 2012 and 2017 due to advancements in research and technology.
- * A new consensus document is now being released to provide updated guidelines for healthcare professionals on selecting and managing patients for AF ablation, created by various international cardiac societies.
Aims: Recent trial data demonstrate beneficial effects of active rhythm management in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and support the concept that a low arrhythmia burden is associated with a low risk of AF-related complications. The aim of this document is to summarize the key outcomes of the 9th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA).
Methods And Results: Eighty-three international experts met in Münster for 2 days in September 2023.
Article Synopsis
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation has become a well-established treatment method in the last 30 years, supported by evidence showing it is safe and effective.
- In response to advancements in research and technology, new guidelines have been released over the years, the latest being necessary to provide updated recommendations for patient care.
- This revised consensus involves collaboration among major cardiac electrophysiology societies from Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America to ensure comprehensive guidelines for AF treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Electrical storm (ES) is a serious condition characterized by repeated episodes of dangerous heart rhythms (ventricular arrhythmias) occurring within 24 hours, requiring medical intervention.
- It mainly affects patients with existing heart issues or those with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), and it poses significant health risks despite advanced treatments.
- The increasing number of older patients with heart conditions and ICDs suggests that the incidence of ES is likely to rise, prompting the need for comprehensive management strategies and a multi-disciplinary approach.
Background: New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) occurs with an incidence of 20-40%. The clinical relevance of POAF remains a concern, and the need for further studies regarding the clinical management of POAF is necessary.
Aim: The AFRODITE study, a prospective multicenter cohort study, had as its primary endpoint the evaluation of AF recurrence in patients post CABG over a one-year period.
The first edition of Europace journal in 1999 came right around the time of the landmark publication of the electrophysiologists from Bordeaux, establishing how elimination of ectopic activity from the pulmonary veins (PVs) resulted in a marked reduction of atrial fibrillation (AF). The past 25 years have seen an incredible surge in scientific interest to develop new catheters and energy sources to optimize durability and safety of ablation, as well as study the mechanisms for AF and devise ablation strategies. While ablation in the beginning was performed with classic 4 mm tip catheters that emitted radiofrequency (RF) energy to create tissue lesions, this evolved to using irrigation and contact force (CF) measurement while increasing power.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) are common and commonly coexisting cardiovascular diseases in hospitalized patients. We report the absolute number and interrelation between AF and HF, assess the daily burden of both diseases on the healthcare system, and describe the medical treatment in a real-world, nationwide conducted snapshot survey.
Methods: A questionnaire was equally distributed to various healthcare institutions.
Introduction: Acute pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection is frequently encountered in patients undergoing PV isolation (PVI) procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. In this study, we investigated whether the identification and ablation of residual potentials (RPs), after the initial achievement of PVI, reduces acute PV reconnection rate.
Methods: Following PVI in 160 patients, mapping along the ablation line was performed to identify RPs, defined as bipolar amplitude ≥0.
To develop a suite of quality indicators (QIs) for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and the prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD). The Working Group comprised experts in heart rhythm management including Task Force members of the 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of patients with VA and the prevention of SCD, members of the European Heart Rhythm Association, international experts, and a patient representative. We followed the ESC methodology for QI development, which involves (i) the identification of the key domains of care for the management of patients with VA and the prevention of SCD by constructing a conceptual framework of care, (ii) the development of candidate QIs by conducting a systematic review of the literature, (iii) the selection of the final set of QIs using a modified-Delphi method, and (iv) the evaluation of the feasibility of the developed QIs.
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