Giving Life Back to People with Atrial Fibrillation

September 2025

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is described as an irregular, often rapid and intermittent heartbeat. When some people experience AFib, they often note a quivering sense in their chest. September is AFib Awareness Month, and it’s a condition Robert King, MD, a cardiovascular surgeon at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, is passionate about.

“I want people to know there is hope,” he said. “Millions of people have AFib, but many may not know about it.”

By 2030, there will be an estimated 12 million people in the U.S. with AFib. Although AFib is common and cases are increasing nationwide, it’s not often discussed, which can potentially have devastating consequences. People with AFib are five times more likely to suffer a stroke and cardiac heart failure, and it’s estimated that AFib increases the risk of death by 46%.

"AFib is more common than people think, and it’s progressive," shared Dr. King. “We need to aggressively treat AFib. The good news is, there are many different treatment options available.”

AFib can be debilitating, but no two people with AFib are alike. While some individuals experience shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, and weakness, some people experience no symptoms at all. In fact, it’s estimated that around 20% of individuals with AFib do not have any symptoms.

Risk factors for AFib include aging, obesity, high blood pressure, underlying heart disease, sleep apnea, smoking and drinking.

Dr. King says people who have AFib may not realize there are treatment options that can drastically improve their quality of life, especially for those with persistent and severe AFib.

“Many people just accept that they don’t feel well,” said Dr. King. “I hear things like ‘it’s just me getting older.’ The truth is, something can be done. It’s not a benign issue; it can be persistent and permanent, and the longer it goes untreated, the worse it can become.”

When Vasiliy (Vass) Shantalov first noticed symptoms of AFib, he wasn’t sure anything was wrong. He would randomly get cold sweats, would experience tunnel vision and would feel his heart beat irregularly, but he was active, often biking more than 30 miles at a time.

One day, he was at a job interview undergoing a physical exam, when he was referred to the emergency room. A team of five doctors streamed into the hospital room, looked at Vass and asked how he was still alive.

Vass said his AFib had gotten so bad he felt like he was suffocating. Both his heart and lungs weren’t working properly. Simple tasks like washing the dishes caused him to collapse with fatigue.

“It was a miserable existence,” he said.

But then he found hope with the team at St. Michael Medical Center, a part of VMFH.

At VMFH, a team of multidisciplinary experts treat all types of AFib. From electrophysiologists to cardiologists, physician assistants to nurses, and beyond, the team creates a customized treatment plan for each patient.

Dr. King said treatment options for AFib have continued to improve throughout the years. Medications or an invasive surgical approach used to be the most common ways to treat AFib, but today, that’s changed. At VMFH, Dr. King has helped pioneer and advocate for better approaches to care.

VMFH is one of the few centers in Washington to provide a complex treatment option called the convergent procedure. It’s a hybrid procedure that brings together experts in both surgical care and electrophysiology. The procedure requires multiple specialists and is the only method that can restore normal rhythm in long-standing, persistent AFib.

“My passion comes from seeing my patients’ quality of life sky rocket,” said Dr. King. “When you ablate AFib, people may not have to be on a blood thinner anymore, even medications aren’t necessary. It’s life-changing.”

Patients with AFib commonly experience both physical and emotional strain in their daily lives. Dr. King says many patients tell him they can’t enjoy their life anymore. They are less active and can’t do the activities they once enjoyed.

That’s exactly what Dr. King gave back to Vass; he got his life back. Now, the bicycles and kayaks are back out of the garage again. He even went hiking with his granddaughter when she came to visit.

“I was running around like a kid. I didn’t lose any breath and I’m not in pain,” Vass said.

And he’s back to doing the dishes, his wife added with a gleeful chuckle.

To learn more about AFib treatments and to check your AFib risk factors, visit VMFH.org/AFib.