Posted by Carl Plaskett on January 08, 2003 at 18:34:06:
In Reply to: AFib Progress and the Cleveland Clinic posted by James T. Redmond on January 08, 2003 at 11:11:40:
Jim: My contribution to this forum has been motivated solely by my desire to encourage other afibbers to find a true "cure" (as did I, by visiting this board from day one when Jack Drum posted on the AFib Message Board that he was starting this board).
Immediately, I started getting emails and posts directed to me, from other "mazers" who offered their support and encouragement. Without those people, who numbered perhaps just a dozen or so in the infancy of this board, I might never have decided that I HAD to initiate the maze procedure.
I was really interested in going to Jack's surgeon, Dr. Millar, in Salt Lake City, the Mayo in Jacksonville, but when my insurance carrier (Aetna) would ONLY approve the Cleveland Clinic, I was worried about going to some "big, impersonal, factory-like facility" and vigorously tried to get approval of a "smaller, more personal" facility, all to no avail.
Fortunately Ed Wehan & Mike Johnson (where ARE you, MIKE?) posted that they were going to the CC just before me, so I decided it might be OK. When I arrived at the CC Guesthouse, I "slipped/slided" (it WAS January) over to the CC to look for Ed & Mike, 4 days post-maze for them. When I found out Ed was discharged and at the Guesthouse, I went to see him. His smiling face was almost enough, but I went to see Mike, who was still having some "problems" but was smiling and both were ALIVE!!
From that point on, even though Dr. Hammer, serious as he might be, & Dr. McCarthy, offered all the reasons I might NOT want to go through with the maze, I was adamant about wanting it NOW!I, also cannot say enough about the professionalism of ALL the staff at the CC. Even though there were at least 8 other mazers there at the time, I (and my wife and son) felt as though I was their most important patient.
Had a PVI/PVA been a viable option at the time, I MIGHT have opted for that as the first attempt, but I figured that Aetna had done their homework and really were sending me to the premier facility.
NOTHING has changed my mind about the CC. They ARE the top facility, period, bar NONE!
I could go on, as everyone knows, but I will end.