I’m speaking with Dr. Patrick M. McCarthy, a Board Certified Thoracic and Cardiac Surgeon, currently the Executive Director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, and Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern. His list of honors and awards is extensive, and his focus and specialties include:
Valve Repair/Replacement
Mitral Valve Repair
Atrial Fibrillation Surgery
Maze Procedure
Aortic Aneurysm
Coronary Bypass Surgery
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy / Myectomy
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Join us as we discuss Dr. McCarthy’s findings and how they have affected, or should affect, treatments and surgeries for AFib.
Discussion points:
Introduction and background – Dr. Patrick M. McCarthy
Why this paper? Why was it necessary?
When you think about the industry before this paper, what percentage had AFib pre-surgery?
How AFib nurses at Northwestern identify AFib patients pre-surgery
Percentages of mitral valve surgical patients with AFib before surgery
Surgeons MUST discuss and find any history of AFib with patients before surgery
How should we screen for AFib?
Why were certain female/diabetic patients in the study not treated?
Why aren’t more surgeons treating AFib?
How Dr. McCarthy’s trainees are educated re: treating AFib
Discussion of the newer variations on the Maze IV procedure
It only takes a total of about 8 minutes for the cryoablation procedure, so there’s no excuse not to treat
Surgeons need about 5 surgeries to master the procedure
McCarthy’s message to surgeons: Don’t shy away, its easier to learn these days, and should be performed
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