Posted by Carl Plaskett on October 19, 2001 at 11:06:38:
In Reply to: My husband's a-fib update since 9-3-01 message posted posted by Jackie Robinson on October 19, 2001 at 00:03:49:
Jackie: Run! I repeat: RUN! to another electrophysiologist. This person cannot be a competent EP if he says only "a few mazes have been performed", unless his definition of a "few" is "1000's" as Jack says. Many, many of us had to go through several doctors (usually just cardiologists) to find one who was knowledgeable about the maze procedure (usually EPs). My close friend, who is a good cardiologist (not mine), STILL thinks the maze is experimental, but then he treats older people who develop AFib and drugs usually help them until...they die! Then their deaths are attributed to something else, not AFib! Some of these guys just have their heads "in the sand".
As for Tambocor, my FORMER cardiologist put me on it, at the urging of my close friend/cardiologist, because I ONLY had AFib. It is contraindicated for treatment of AFib if there are other underlying heart problems. It helped for a while, but AFib came back. Dose was increased. Helped for a while, AFib came back worse. Increased dose. Etc, etc., etc. I finally had an ablation, which helped with the AFlutter (high HR during AFib) and started amiodarone. The same pattern began again, except the side effects of Amiodarone became much scarier to me. The maze cured me 1/18/01.Do as Jack says, but perhaps CALL some of these facilities, find out if any patients are being referred for the maze by EPs in your area, then get to one of them. I don't know where you live, but if you post that, I'll bet you'll find someone on this board who will post the name of a convenient EP.
If this doesn't work, do what Henry Alken (and others have done): find out what some of these centers need to evaluate your husband (usually a tape of a recent echo recording, and a history) and do a self-referral.
I would heartily (no pun intended) recommend the maze over an ablation as far as the risk/reward equation is concerned.
Good luck with your search for answers. Keep us updated.