Why the study?
Surgeons encounter unique technical and anatomical challenges during the surgical epicardial stage of the hybrid Convergent procedure for persistent and long-standing persistent AF.
The Convergent procedure offers a hybrid epicardial and endocardial ablation approach for persistent AF, though it presents unique anatomical and technical challenges for surgeons.
The Converge IDE Trial demonstrated improved patient outcomes in a challenging persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation population using a heart team hybrid approach with epicardial and endocardial staged ablations. Surgeons encounter unique circumstances with the surgical epicardial stage of the Convergent procedure which includes unfamiliarity with left atrial posterior anatomy, endoscopic/thoracoscopic visualization, minimally invasive left atrial appendage management, and expanded indications for the procedure. Overcoming these unique challenges is key to the adoption of the Convergent procedure as a critical off-pump approach that should be part of the surgical armamentarium in the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
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Kiankhooy et al. (2022) studied this question.
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