CaRi-heart technology
Revolutionary new technology to assess the risk of a serious heart condition or heart attack – many years before anything happens.
Atrial fibrillation
- No.1 in the UK for private cardiac care
- Appointments in as little as 24 hours
- 99% of our cardiac patients would recommend us to friends and family
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ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AT HCA HEALTHCARE UK
Why choose us?
We’re the UK’s No.1 for private cardiac care. That means our cardiac specialists look after over 26,000 patients every year, more than any other UK private healthcare provider. And of those patients, 99% say they’d recommend us to family and friends.
We’re here to support you before, during and beyond your treatment for atrial fibrillation. With cardiologist appointments within 24 hours, same-day tests and results within 48 hours, your heart will be in safe hands.
Atrial fibrillation, often known as AF or Afib, is a common heart rhythm abnormality affecting over two million people in the UK. It may cause your heart to beat up to 200 beats per minute (BPM) in an irregular pattern, instead of the normal resting rate of 60 to 100 BPM.
If you’re experiencing atrial fibrillation, your heart won’t be pumping oxygenated blood around your body as efficiently as it should be. This can result in symptoms such as:
- Feeling that your heart is pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, potentially lasting several minutes at a time
- Breathlessness
- Tiredness
- Dizziness, blackouts or fainting
- Anxiety and sweating
Atrial fibrillation is caused when chaotic electrical signals cause your heart's two upper chambers, called the atria, to quiver or twitch. These signals are sent to the heart's lower chambers, called ventricles, which are responsible for pumping blood around your body, and cause those ventricles to beat rapidly and in an irregular way.
While atrial fibrillation isn't usually life-threatening, without diagnosis and treatment it can lead to stroke or heart failure. AF often goes undiagnosed, partly because the signs and symptoms are consistent with many other heart conditions.
The main aim of treatment is to control your heart rate and rhythm, make you feel better and reduce the risk of serious complications.
Book in to see a GP, who may then refer you to a cardiologist, if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Rapid, irregular heart palpitations
- Heartbeats routinely faster or slower than a normal resting rate of 60 to 100 BPM, particularly if combined with dizziness or breathlessness
- A sudden unexplained change in your heartbeat
If any of these symptoms are persistent or severe, call 999 immediately.
At HCA UK, we offer same-day and next-day GP appointments, as well as a convenient, comprehensive heart health check service for peace of mind. Just get in touch.
4,000+
successful ablations completed in last the 3 years
1,000+
pacemakers fitted
100+
heart rhythm consultants to choose from
Next-day appointments
See a specialist and get on the path to an expert diagnosis in as little as 24 hours.
State-of-the-art diagnostics
With results in as little as 48 hours.*
Wide-reaching expertise across the UK
Visit any one of 15 dedicated diagnostic centres in London, Manchester and Birmingham.
Worried about your heart, but not sure what to do?
Get in touch and book a same or next-day GP appointment.
Have a referral and need to book?
Simply book a test, scan or treatment directly today.
Unsure of a diagnosis and need some answers?
Talk to a cardiologist and get the answers you’ve been looking for.
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TESTS AND SCANS AT HCA UK
Expert diagnosis, fast results
Your GP may discover you have AF during a routine health check, or you may self-diagnose using a wearable gadget such as an ECG watch.
However you come to us, we’ll give you access to an unrivalled private diagnostics network, with access to the latest cardiac tests, scans and imaging. And with over 75,000 electrocardiograms and 62,000 echocardiograms performed in the last three years alone, we have expertise and experience you can trust.
- Pulse reading
- Blood tests to check for other conditions
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Ambulatory ECG
- Echocardiogram
- An implantable loop recorder
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TREATMENTS AT HCA UK
Expert care with excellent outcomes
If you think you may have AF, we can give you dedicated, fully personalised care from monitoring to medication and post-operative care.
Our leading heart specialists see more cardiac patients than any other private health provider in the UK, with a 99% success rate across all cardiac surgery. You’ll have access to their experience and expertise along with support from a whole team of medical experts.
Our leading heart specialists see more cardiac patients than any other private health provider in the UK, with a 99% success rate across all cardiac surgery. You’ll have access to their experience and expertise along with support from a whole team of medical experts.
- Catheter ablation therapy
- Electrical cardioversion
- Medication management
- Pacemaker
Accessing private health care
Self-pay
You don’t need health insurance to be seen quickly. If you’re looking for a diagnosis or treatment and don’t want to wait, all our private healthcare services – from private GP appointments through to surgery and aftercare – can be paid for as and when you need them.
And to give you peace of mind from the start, we’ll offer you a clear and transparent quote outlining exactly what’s included in your self-pay package.
Atrial fibrillation FAQs
- Paroxysmal: comes and goes with age, with episodes lasting from minutes to days
- Persistent: episodes last continuously for more than seven days and treatment is usually needed to restore the heart’s normal rhythm
- Longstanding: going on for over 12 months and often unaffected by treatment
- Permanent: fibrillation is present all the time, no treatment can restore normal rhythm
If you have AF, you may well also alternate having atrial flutter. With atrial flutter, rather than chaotic electrical impulses in the atria, the rhythm is regular. This less common type of atrial arrhythmia also increases the risk of stroke and heart failure.
Yes, it’s easy to test your own heartbeat by taking your pulse in your neck – just avoid drinking caffeinated beverages beforehand to make sure you're taking a resting heart rate.
Here’s how to do it:
- Sit down quietly for at least five minutes
- Place the index and middle finger of your right hand on the pulse in your neck
- Double it to find out your BPM
A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 BPM. If you have atrial fibrillation, your heart will often be beating at over 100 BPM.
Concerned about your heartrate? Contact your doctor as soon as possible or make an appointment with one of our specialists for diagnostic tests.
Your consultant may suggest that you take any of a range of medications. The aim of these is to help alleviate your symptoms and reduce your risk of serious complications:
- Flecainide to help maintain a normal heart rhythm
- Beta-blockers such as Bisoprolol to slow your heart rate and help maintain a normal heart rhythm
- Calcium channel blockers such as Verapamil or Diltiazem which can help to reduce your heart rate to below 90 BPM
- Digoxin to help lower your heart rate further
- Amiodarone to help restore and maintain a normal rhythm
- An anticoagulant to help prevent your blood from clotting causing a stroke, such as Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, Edoxaban, Dabigatran or sometimes Warfarin
Like most medications, some AF treatments can have side effects.
- Flecainide may make you feel sick and, in rare cases, cause heart rhythm disorders.
- Beta-blockers can cause tiredness, cold hands and feet, low blood pressure, low mood and impotence.
- Verapamil can cause constipation, low blood pressure and ankle swelling.
- Amiodarone can cause thyroid derangement, liver function abnormality and lung scarring, so is rarely used for long-term treatment.
- Anticoagulants can sometimes cause bleeding.
If you're worried about possible side effects, speak to your cardiologist or GP who can offer personal advice based on your condition and risk profile.
This minimally invasive procedure is used to treat arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) particularly if the condition is interfering with your quality of life.
- Pulmonary vein isolation: uses hot or cold energy to create tiny scars in the upper left chamber of your heart where the four lung veins (pulmonary veins) connect, blocking irregular electrical signals.
- Atrioventricular node ablation: helps to control your heart rate if you have permanent AF. It uses heat energy to create a tiny scar and block the pathway between the upper and lower chambers of your heart, known as the atrioventricular node. This stops the fast, irregular signals associated with AF. You’ll need to have a permanent pacemaker fitted first.
- Pulse field ablation: a new ablation technique that uses electrical energy to target affected heart tissue while causing minimal damage to surrounding structures.
- Surgical AF ablation - including Surgical MAZE: sometimes offered when you also need surgery to another part of your heart, such as a heart valve, or when your atria are large. Known as a convergent hybrid ablation procedure, it can be performed as minimally invasive surgery. A surgical MAZE procedure creates multiple scars using heat, freezing or a scalpel to electrically break up the upper chambers of your heart and stop atrial fibrillation.
Our patients' stories
Kirti's heart rhythm story
How a life-changing cardiac procedure stopped Kirti worrying about her heart health. Kirti first felt a heart palpitation back in 2016 whilst out shopping. After delaying seeking specialist advice, she sought the expertise of Dr Mike Koa-Wing, Consultant Cardiologist at The Wellington Hospital, in 2020 after the palpations got worse. Here Kirti shares her story.
How a valve replacement helped Steve breathe easy again
When Steve found out his breathlessness was caused by a narrowed aortic valve, he was terrified of the thought of the open-heart surgery that might be needed to treat it. But with the expertise of Professor Sagar Doshi at The Harborne Hospital, he learned he could have a ‘keyhole’ alternative called TAVI.
Treating Helaina's heart rhythm disorder
Helaina from Northamptonshire was just 16 when she began experiencing unusual symptoms, including shortness of breath and heart palpitations, which rapidly worsened. She was otherwise fit, healthy and a huge lover of the great outdoors, leading to her family to grow concerned.
“The staff were incredible. They are the best. Every step was explained…”
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This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.