Today our guest is Dr. Niv Ad, and we are discussing his Annals of Thoracic Surgery paper, Surgical Treatment for Stand-Alone Atrial Fibrillation in North America by Niv Ad, et al.

As an internationally renowned leader in cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Ad is known for his long-time involvement in minimally invasive cardiac surgical procedures. Dr. Ad attended medical school at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University and completed his training fellowship in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Ad joined Washington Adventist and the White Oak Medical Center after serving as the Chair of Cardiac Surgery at the Inova Heart of Vascular Institute for almost a decade. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and division of Cardiac surgery, and the Editor in Chief of INNOVATIONS: Technology and Techniques in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery. 

Throughout his career, Dr. Ad has been involved in multiple multi-center studies including as the national principal investigator on several Food and Drug Administration (FDA) trials.

All Things Afib is hosted by me, Dr. Armin Kiankhooy. As a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, my focus is on advanced 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: 

Introduction and background – Dr. Niv Ad

Why write this paper?

Breaking down the subgroups included in the paper: off-pump (n = 3252), on-pump (n = 491), and patients with incision conversion or conversion from off-pump to on-pump (n = 150)

Answering important questions such as “Is it safe?”

The possibility that younger, inexperienced surgeons are abandoning the procedure, leading to the drop in numbers

How did the LAAOS III study impact the off-pump group?

Do you think the conversion procedure process is a fit for new surgeons, is it a good place to start?

Moving on to your upcoming FDA trial of AtriCure CryoICE, why is this a study that had to happen?

The current gap in education around why we treat, how it is treated, and what tools should be used

When can we expect results from the FDA trial?

Ad’s final thoughts– Message to AFib patients– do your research, don’t be shy! Don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss your situation with an experienced AFib surgeon

Resources: 

Paper: Surgical Treatment for Stand-Alone Atrial Fibrillation in North America 

Dr. Niv Ad at Adventist Medical Group

LAAOS III Study

Dr. Kiankhooy LinkedIn

All Things AFib Website

All Things AFib Twitter 

All Things AFib YouTube Channel