Quality & Outcomes: Atrial Fibrillation Procedures
Penn electrophysiologists introduced the use of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in 1997. The team currently performs more than six times the national standard of AF ablations procedures. The number of catheter ablation procedures performed at HUP each year for cardiac arrhythmias amounts to more than the total of three of the next largest centers in the region combined. Nearly a third of all patients undergoing ablation procedures at HUP have failed procedures elsewhere, contributing to the program's renowned track record of success with difficult and complex cases.
Research shows that medical centers performing more than 100 A-Fib ablation procedures per year have better outcomes and fewer complications.
A-Fib Ablation Case Volume at Penn Medicine FY 2006 - FY 2010, N = 2255
| Year | Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania | Penn Presbyterian Medical Center | Pennsylvania Hospital | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 143 | 133 | 2 | 278 |
| 2007 | 198 | 140 | 5 | 343 |
| 2008 | 253 | 203 | 16 | 472 |
| 2009 | 369 | 117 | 9 | 495 |
| 2010 | 550 | 84 | 35 | 669 |
Maze Procedure
The leading surgical approach to A-Fib, the Maze procedure is commonly done in conjunction with mitral valve repair/replacement and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). In recent years, Penn cardiovascular surgeons have been performing minimally invasive Maze procedures to treat A-Fib patients having aortic valve replacement surgery. In 2010, 63 patients underwent Maze procedures at Penn.
Penn Heart & Vascular 2011 Clinical Activity Report
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