patient from Chile to Alexandria for one of the first combined atrial fibrillation operations

ALESSANDRIA – Another intervention of great value carried out by the doctors ofAlessandria University Hospital. It’s one combined cardiac surgery operationamong the first in Italy, which combines, in a single operationil treatment dell’arrhythmia by ablation with radiofrequency energy and the prevention of thromboembolic risk through the closure of the left auricle with the use of innovative devices.

The operation was performed by the team led by Dr. Giulio Tessitoretogether with Dr. Andrea Audodirector of the Complex Cardiac Surgery Facility of the AOU AL, and to Dr. Eugenio Massa. The anesthetic management was entrusted to Dr Chiara Ottriarelating to SC Anesthesia and Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Resuscitation, directed by Dr. Giulia Maj.

Confirming the high level of specialization achieved by the AOU AL, the The patient undergoing the procedure came from Chile and chose to contact Alessandria after having identified the University Hospital as the most suitable structure for a highly complex cardiac surgery. The procedure was performed in association with aortic valve replacement, leveraging the clinical and surgical experience gained by the Alexandrian team.

From a clinical point of view, the intervention made it possible to simultaneously address two central aspects of atrial fibrillation: control of the heart rhythm, achieved through radiofrequency ablation of the areas responsible for the arrhythmia, and reduction of the risk of stroke, thanks to the closure of the left atrial appendage, a small cavity in the heart in which potentially dangerous clots can form.

The use of the new instruments allows a precise and controlled ablation of the pulmonary vein box without opening the left atrium and the safe exclusion of the left atrial appendage, with a significant reduction in the risk of cerebral ischemic events. The goal is to improve the patient’s quality of life and, in selected cases, reduce the need for long-term anticoagulant therapy.

The success of the intervention was made possible by the close multidisciplinary collaboration between the professionals involved, confirming the value of an integrated and highly specialized approach.

Thanks to this innovative procedure, the AOU AL confirms itself as a national reference center for atrial fibrillation surgerycapable of attracting and treating even international patients suffering from complex cardiac pathologies, offering high-level care in a multidisciplinary and technologically cutting-edge context.