The Heart Institute of Florida at Florida Medical Center recently adopted a new procedure, the convergent approach, for the treatment of Caribbean patients with atrial fibrillation, or AFib.

The minimally invasive procedure combines electrophysiology and cardiac surgery treatments to help restore normal heart rhythm for longtime suffers of AFib. Utilizing the convergent approach, the surgeon is able to create comprehensive, linear lesions on the outside surface of a beating heart through a small, one-inch incision made in the patient’s abdomen. There are no chest incisions and/or ports, as in other surgical ablation procedures.

“We are proud to offer this promising technique to help our cardiovascular patients,” said Trey Abshier, CEO of Florida Medical Center. “The convergent approach is a major triumph in technology as it has the potential to improve care, decrease recovery times and, most importantly, give AFib patients a better quality of life.”

Early clinical experience has shown that this minimally invasive approach, conducted in a single operating room setting, may improve early outcomes for the most challenging patients and can reduce procedure times when compared to approaches where the two disciplines work separately.

Following the procedure, it is possible that the patient’s daily rhythm medications may be reduced or even eliminated. Typical hospital stays last two to three days, compared to five days or more for more invasive heart surgery, and patients could be back to their normal activities more quickly.

For more than four decades, the Heart Institute of Florida at Florida Medical Center has delivered advanced cardiac care to the community. To learn more about the services offered, please call 1-855-836-3846.