Show Notes - All Things Afib - Episode 14 - Tachycardia Mediated Cardiomyopathy - Dr. Ali Khiabani from Washington University in St. Louis

Today I’m speaking with Dr. Ali Khiabani, MD, MHA who is currently a fifth-year post-graduate student at Washington University under the tutelage of Dr. Ralph Damiano Jr., one of the world’s leading Cox-Maze surgeons who himself trained under Dr. Cox. Dr. Khiabani and Dr. Damiano have recently co-authored an important paper on the long-term outcomes of the Cox-Maze IV and today we’re going to discuss all the important findings in that paper. 

The paper’s abstract reads:

Surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is indicated both in patients with AF undergoing concomitant cardiac surgery and in those who have not responded to medical and/or catheter-based ablation therapy. This study examined our long-term outcomes following the Cox-Maze IV procedure (CMP-IV).

And the conclusion states:

The CMP-IV had an excellent long-term efficacy at maintaining sinus rhythm. At late follow-up, the results of the CMP-IV remained superior to those reported for catheter ablation and other forms of surgical ablation for AF. Age, left atrial size, and nonparoxysmal AF were the most relevant predictors of late recurrence.

All Things Afib is hosted by me, Dr. Armin Kiankhooy. As a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, my focus is on advanced treatments for heart and lung failure and minimally-invasive surgical treatments for atrial fibrillation such as the Hybrid Maze procedure. You can find me on staff at Adventist Health Heart and Vascular Institute in St. Helena California. 

Discussion points:

You have written some impressive papers – can you tell us a little about this paper?

Some important elements in the research:

Patient selection was key

All underwent MRI’s to determine fibrosis levels

37 patients total

Class III or IV EF

Median follow up was 22 mos.

All had significant improvements

It’s not necessary to restore 100% sinus rhythm all the time– what were your statistics?

Any additional points you’d like to share regarding this paper?

Switching gears –tell us about your training with Dr. Damiano

How many procedures until you were comfortable?

What’s next for you with your training or research?

Closing words: for anyone listening– the lesion set in this Bi-Atrial Maze procedure is the most robust method available today for patients with stand-alone AFib

Resources:

Dr. Ali Khiabani at Wash U.

Wash U. Article about the Study

Link to Study Abstract

Dr. Kiankhooy LinkedIn

All Things AFib Website

All Things AFib Twitter

All Things AFib YouTube Channel