AF Driver Version 1.2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Atrial Fibrillation Driver Study – Pilot Project
IRAS ID
324197
Contact name
Waqas Ullah
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal rhythm of the heart which is increasingly common and can be associated with serious consequences. We know that AF is associated with an increase in the scarring of the heart, the left atrium and it is thought that this scarring may be one of the drivers for this abnormal heart rhythm. The nature of this scarring in humans has been subject to limited study and generally only by indirect means such as cardiac MRI scans or measuring the voltage of the tissues. During cardiothoracic surgery, tissue from the left atrium is removed as a part of the procedure. This tissue is normally disposed of, but we would propose to consent patients to collect it to allow it to be analysed. Such analysis would examine the composition of the tissue, including the pattern of scarring, to allow us to gain a greater insight into the mechanisms of AF.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/WM/0084
Date of REC Opinion
28 Apr 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion