Cure for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

A 36 year old male friend of mine suffers from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.  He takes Sotacor as a preventative measure.  He first began to suffer from this condition approximately 6 years ago.  The consultant he saw at the onset of the disorder felt that it had probably come about as the result of a virus he may have contracted although, if this is the case, he had no other symptoms of the virus and no virus was ever diagnosed.  

Is there a medical procedure that he could undergo to cure this condition?  I have heard of procedures whereby the region of the atrium causing the fibrillation is mapped and the tissue destroyed in an attempt to treat the arrythmia.  Would he be a potential candidate for this kind of treatment?

Trish

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Dear Trish

While ablation has been done successfully for chronic atrial fibrillation, I would not recommend it as an option for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. If this needs treatment at all, medications would be the better choice.

I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.

Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.