Posted by Ed Wehan on June 11, 2002 at 23:54:54:
In Reply to: Three weeks post-op and high heart rhythm posted by Woodland Anne on June 10, 2002 at 13:15:50:
Anne, after my surgery, my heart rate remained high for a period of time and actually I had flutter for about six weeks after. I was put on amiodarone which worked very well for me. Everyone seems to handle some of these drugs differently. Steve Giddings seems to have the best handle on all of this. I started with Rhythmol but it caused a ventricular arrythmia so on to amiodarone which was just fine. At six weeks, the flutter was gone and my heart rate was settling down. I think the heart gets pretty battered in surgery so it takes a while for it to get somewhat back to normal. Just to let you know that now at 18 months, I am really normal doing everything I never could do prior to the maze. No drugs, no pills whatsoever and no thoughts of ever having AFib (well, I do remember that horrid past every now and then). Good luck.