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The analysis was conducted using five editions of the EHRA White Book, which is produced by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-esc-analysis-reveals-arrhythmia-treatment.html Cardiology Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:07:14 EST news265457227 The 2012 expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation was developed by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), and the European Cardiac Arrhythmia Society (ECAS) and published in their respective journals: Heart Rhythm, EP Europace (1) and the Journal of Interventional Cardiovascular Electrophysiology (JICE). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-gold-standards-success-af-ablation.html Cardiology Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:04:14 EST news265457044 The PRAGUE-12 trial is a randomized open multicenter study comparing cardiac surgery with MAZE versus cardiac surgery without MAZE in patients with coronary and/or valvular heart disease and with atrial fibrillation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-prague-trial-randomized-multicenter.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:20:03 EST news265371018 Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (Afib) is safe and suppresses arrhythmia recurrences in 74% of patients after a single procedure, according to results from the one-year follow-up of the Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Pilot Study, the first European registry to evaluate the real-life epidemiology of catheter ablation for AFib. The survey also showed that arrhythmia-related symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue or dizziness - present in 86% of patients before the ablation - were significantly reduced. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-catheter-ablation-atrial-fibrillation-results.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:06:14 EST news265370765 University of Michigan heart researchers are shedding light on a safer method for steadying an abnormal heart rhythm that prevents collateral damage to healthy cells. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-fine-tuning-cardiac-ablation-quicker.html Cardiology Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:30:01 EST news262340911 The first study of a procedure to make three-dimensional "maps" of electrical signals in children's hearts could help cardiologists correct rapid heart rhythms in young patients, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2012 Scientific Sessions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-heart-kids-rapid-rhythms.html Cardiology Mon, 23 Jul 2012 17:01:37 EST news262281688 In a landmark study of atrial fibrillation, researchers from UCLA, UC San Diego and Indiana University report having found for the first time that these irregular heart rhythms are caused by small electrical sources within the heart, in the form of electrical spinning tops ("rotors") or focal beats. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-technology-outcomes-patients-atrial-fibrillation.html Cardiology Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:53:28 EST news261849175 (Medical Xpress) -- Radio frequency ablation (RFA) enables doctors to destroy abnormal growths, quell arrhythmias and halt nerves’ transmission of pain signals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-session-ablation-relieves-misery-cancer.html Cancer Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:07:07 EST news252659206 Individuals fighting metastatic breast cancer, where the disease has progressed to other areas of the body, may finally have another weapon in their arsenal: percutaneous cryoablation. The cancer treatment could potentially be used as a last line of defense to halt individual spots of remaining metastatic disease by freezing and destroying tumors, say researchers presenting a study at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-cryoablation-therapy-spot-freezes-breast-cancer.html Cancer Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:38:33 EST news251973507 For the first time in a new U.S. clinical trial, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have used the HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System (EAS) to correct abnormal electrical signals inside the heart of a patient affected by atrial fibrillation (AFib), one of the nation's most common heart ailments. The device is the first catheter ablation system to incorporate a camera that allows doctors to see a direct, real-time image of the patient's heart tissue during ablation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-mount-sinai-visually-catheter-ablation.html Cardiology Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:10:11 EST news249063004 What do sweaty palms and abnormal heart rhythms have in common? Both can be initiated by the nervous system during adrenaline-driven "flight or fight" stress reaction when the body senses danger. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-snipping-key-nerves-life-threatening.html Cardiology Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:00:03 EST news243516813 Scientists have designed a first draft of a mathematical model that someday could guide treatment decisions for advanced prostate cancer, in part by helping doctors predict how individual patients will respond to therapy based on the biology of their tumors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-future-prostate-cancer-treatments-math.html Cancer Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:13:01 EST news241113985 Carbon dioxide laser ablation (removal) may have a role as an alternative treatment for a common precancerous skin lesion known as lentigo maligna when surgery or radiation therapy is not feasible, according to a report in the November/December issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-laser-advantageous-precancerous-skin-lesions.html Cancer Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:00:07 EST news241102569 The outer layer of the skin, called the epidermis, forms a critical physical and immunological wall that serves as the body's first line of defense against potentially harmful microorganisms. Most of the epidermis consists of cells called keratinocytes that build a mechanical barrier but also perform immune functions. Now, a new study published by Cell Press in the October issue of the journal Immunity provides evidence that stopping of a type of regulated cell death called "necroptosis" in keratinocytes is critical for the prevention of skin inflammation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-cell-death-skin-inflammation.html Medical research Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:14:31 EST news237730462 Foam injections to treat varicose veins cause less pain for patients and could save NHS money compared with a popular alternative treatment, according to researchers at Imperial College London. The study found that foam therapy was over four times more cost-effective than laser treatment and allowed patients to resume normal activity sooner. The findings were presented today at the annual meeting of the European Vascular Society in Athens. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-foam-varicose-veins-patients-cheaper.html Medical research Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:10:40 EST news236175012 Loyola University Medical Center is testing a high-tech catheter device that's intended to improve outcomes of patients treated for atrial fibrillation, the most common irregular heartbeat. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-loyola-device-atrial-fibrillation.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:24:05 EST news235315427 Many patients are responding to a new, minimally invasive way of treating irregular heartbeats by freezing out the bad cells. Atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) is one such heart rhythm disorder, and it's the most common arrhythmia affecting Americans. However, new research shows that 70 percent of patients with the disorder who were treated with cryoballoon ablation, the freezing technique, are free of any heart rhythm irregularities one year out from having the procedure. These results suggest that this minimally invasive procedure may be faster, safer and more effective than the commonly used approach of burning the cells in order to put the heart back into a normal rhythm pattern. Northwestern Memorial Hospital is the only hospital in the city of Chicago, and one of only three in the state of Illinois, performing this procedure. According to cardiologist, Bradley Knight, MD, the switch from "hot" to "cold" has been good for patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-desist-disabling-cardiac-cells-arrhythmia.html Cardiology Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:54:01 EST news235065168 The journal Radiology will publish in its September issue an article written by Damian E. Dupuy, M.D., director of tumor ablation at Rhode Island Hospital, supporting the use of ablation procedures for the treatment of lung cancer. The article, "Image-guided Thermal Ablation of Lung Malignancies," reviews the results of nearly 100 studies conducted between 1991 and 2011 that conclude that image-guided ablation for lung cancer is a successful alternative for patients who cannot withstand surgery due to advanced age or medical comorbidities. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-thermal-ablation-lung-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:50:53 EST news234003040 Results presented today from the Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Pilot Study show that almost 40% of patients undergoing a catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation have no underlying disease associated with the arrhythmia, and precipitating factors are rare. The survey, which is a pilot survey from the ESC's EurObservational registry programme, also confirmed that symptoms are present in 86% of patients but vary considerably; symptoms include palpitations, fatigue, and shortness of breath or dizziness. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-european-registry-real-life-epidemiology-atrial.html Cardiology Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:40:16 EST news233912396 Results from the STOP-VT Study (Study to Obliterate Persistent Ventricular Tachycardia) were presented at the ESC Congress 2011 today. This is the first ever multi-center, global, prospective trial to evaluate a Remote Magnetic Navigation (RMN) system 1 for the treatment of ischemic Ventricular Tachycardia. The multi-center study was conducted at Na Holmoce Hospital (Prague), Hospital of University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, USA), Methodist Hospital (Indianapolis, USA), and Herzentrum Leipzig GmbH (Germany). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-stop-vt-multi-center-trial-catheter-rf.html Cardiology Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:54:50 EST news233837684 A new study has shown the Flexible-Fiber CO2 laser to safely cut and coagulate during endoscopic assisted transsphenoidal craniotomies (TSC) without the line of sight problems encountered with conventional CO2 lasers. The findings, reported by researchers from Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), appear in the July/August issue of World Neurosurgery. This is the first study to report the utility of flexible-fiber CO2 laser-assisted ablation in TSC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-flexible-fiber-co2-laser-safe-endoscopic.html Other Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:20:01 EST news232710300 Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe and effective option for the treatment of dysplastic Barrett's esophagus that attains lasting response, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Progression of disease, which can precede cancer, was rare in patients who underwent RFA treatment, and there was no procedure- or cancer-related mortality. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-radiofrequency-ablation-safely-effectively-barrett.html Cancer Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:09:04 EST news232276099 Doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are performing a new procedure to treat atrial fibrillation, a common irregular heartbeat. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-procedure-atrial-fibrillation.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:57:14 EST news228480946 Cancer is crafty. When one avenue driving its growth is blocked by drugs targeting that path, the malignancy often creates a detour, finding an alternative route to get around the roadblock. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-prostate-cancer-hormone-therapy-survival.html Cancer Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:06:34 EST news227282778 The electrophysiology team at the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) used cryoablation (ablation using cold) to treat a patient suffering from atrial fibrillation, the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia, and one associated with significant morbidity. The procedure was performed by Dr. Peter Guerra, Chief of Electrophysiology, and Dr. Marc Dubuc, cardiologist and specialist in electrophysiology. This was a first in Canada following the approval of the Arctic Front device by Health Canada. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-cryoablation-successfully-atrial-fibrillation-montreal.html Cardiology Wed, 11 May 2011 08:59:04 EST news224323120 A new study reports that multipolar electrocoagulation in combination with acid suppression is a safe and effective method to ablate nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus over the long term. No adenocarcinoma (cancer) or high-grade dysplasia of the esophagus developed in any of the study patients. This is the largest published series and longest follow-up of patients with nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus who underwent ablation therapy with multipolar electrocoagulation. The study appears in the April issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-long-term-follow-up-multipolar-electrocoagulation-ablation.html Cancer Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:04:40 EST news222966237