Addressing Atrial Fibrillation: The Need for Comprehensive Management and Contemporary Ablation Strategies

The first workshop, held in the Dubai Room and titled “Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy: Arrhythmic Risk, Diagnosis, and Clinical Implications,” opened with a brief welcome address by course director Ignatius Yansen, MD, who encouraged participants to engage actively throughout the session.

The first session was led by Simon Salim, MD, on the topic “Understanding Syncope: Classification, Mechanisms, and Clinical Red Flags.” He explained the importance of addressing the challenges of syncope, particularly in cases of non-vasovagal syncope, which can potentially lead to sudden death in patients.

The second session was led by Aruman Yudanto, MD, on the topic “Atrial High Rate Episodes During Cardiac Device Interrogation: How to Respond?” The discussion covered the association between atrial high rate episodes and an increased risk of thromboembolism. The burden of atrial high rate episodes can be reduced and delayed before they progress to atrial fibrillation through the administration of antiarrhythmic medications for these episodes. He was the final speaker in the first session of the workshop, followed by a 15-minute interactive discussion.

The next session featured a presentation by Muhammad Muqsith, MD, on “Tachy-brady Syndrome: Ablate or Pace?”. The workshop discussed preferences for pacemaker modes based on atrial versus ventricular pacing. He also addressed Automatic Mode Switching, which must be implemented for patients with atrial fibrillation as a preventive measure against excessive ventricular pacing.

Next was a workshop led by Dony Yugo Hermanto, MD, titled “Implementing the CARE Approach in Comprehensive AF Management.” The implementation steps outlined covered factors supporting rhythm control strategies, such as the patient’s profile, clinical condition, and arrhythmia characteristics, as well as the evolution of AF rhythm management. This evolution was classified into past, present, and future phases.

The first session in the Singapore Room concluded with a workshop led by Aruman Yudanto, MD, titled “AFib in Heart Failure: Rate or Rhythm Control.” The session covered target heart rates and first-line medications. In addition, he discussed advanced interventions such as AV node ablation. Participants and speakers engaged in a final discussion before the session officially concluded.