Dr Pappone warns Napoli: "McTominay out for at least two months"
The cardiologist’s words on the current situation of the Scottish midfielder.
Dr Carlo Pappone gave Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli a detailed explanation of the procedure Scott McTominay, the Napoli midfielder, will have to undergo. He stressed that it is not a routine operation for a professional athlete and that at least two months out and strict monitoring are needed before he can be given the all-clear to return to the pitch. His statements follow.
"Atrial fibrillation in an athlete is not a rare event. This type of arrhythmia appears more often towards the end of a career. It can also occur after the end of competitive activity. A brief episode can resolve spontaneously and does not necessarily represent a problem. The situation changes when the fibrillation lasts several hours. The same applies when drugs are needed to stop the episode. During atrial fibrillation, the heart loses the normal coordination between its chambers. The athlete's physical performance can therefore drop significantly.
That is why a footballer in the middle of an episode of fibrillation can hardly cope with a match or intense training. The atrial fibrillation procedure takes place under general anaesthetic. The doctor inserts some catheters through a femoral vein. The catheters then reach the heart. The cardiologist accesses the left atrium through a puncture of the membrane that separates the right atrium from the left. At that point he can target the areas responsible for the arrhythmia. In recent years technology has made major advances. Today electroporation is also used and it is very effective. Ablation does not, however, guarantee success in 100% of cases. Complications too, although they are not necessarily bound to occur, must be taken into account. That is why it is important to carry out the procedure in specialised centres equipped to handle possible emergencies. An athlete's procedure is different from the procedure of a normal person. The reason lies in the standards required of a professional athlete. After the ablation, in fact, it is not enough simply to verify the return to a normal heart rhythm. Above all, it is necessary to confirm there have been no new episodes of atrial fibrillation. Furthermore, the athlete must not require anti-arrhythmic drugs or anticoagulant therapy. Only after these checks can a return to competitive activity be assessed".
