Posted by John Behle on March 05, 2003 at 14:39:42:
In Reply to: catheter ablation posted by bill on March 05, 2003 at 14:06:33:
Bill,
As you read through some of the messages here and/or search under "ablation", you'll find a lot of information. Many if not most of the people here have had one or more ablations. Usually they have short term or less than curative results.
I had one ablation in 1993 and it lasted a week. I did feel somewhat better for a few months, but within 6 or so, felt as bad as before. I had the MAZE procedure 2 years ago and have had Normal Sinus Rhythm ever since.
Knowing what I know now, I probably would have had the MAZE back then. Either the "specialists" that worked on me did not know about or understand the MAZE. Most still don't. They believe for some reason it is high risk, when in reality, there is more risk of stoke and even death with ablations. As I've mentioned here a couple times, I would go through the MAZE once a year if that is what it would take. Yet, one surgery and Atrial Fibrillation is gone forever.
At 44 myself, with little quality of life and health left, I decided it was time to live. Even though the risks were very low, I had hit a point I would rather have not made it through the surgery than to continue on with the heart problems.
Through the Afib, I had hit a point of congestive heart failure and don't believe I would have even lived throughout the next year. Afib tends to get worse by the day and each episode makes the next one more likely and more severe. At the same time, the risk of stroke goes up, especially as the length of the episodes increase.
It might be time for you to consider the MAZE. The good news is there are incredible surgeons out there to help you end the AFib. The bad news might be that you haven't met them or even someone who knows about them yet. The incredible lack of knowledge and reluctance relating to the MAZE among cardiologists is an amazing mystery. Either they don't know, which is apalling or have way too little knowledge about it. Some seem to think it is experimental, risky, drastic or some other FAR FETCHED point of view. I hate to think that anyone would not want their patients to be cured.
I actually had the cardiologist that my MAZE surgeon sent me to for a workup and echocardiogram try to talk me out of it. He tried to convince me to ablate the AV node and some other things first. NONE of what he suggested I found out later would have done the job. He backed off when he heard and vefified the congestive heart failure. So basically, even someone in the same building with an incredible surgeon (Dr. Millar) that has done over 300 MAZE procedures can be clueless as to the risks and rewards of the MAZE.
I had been to some of the best cardiologists in the state and yet just suffered and suffered for years with nothing other than BS and dangerous meds. Some day I may just let go of my inhibitions and go do a jig on their desk in their offices to show them what the MAZE could have done for me many years earlier if THEY had not been so ignorant or egotistical.
So, the good news is the MAZE is available and may be a possibility for you. The bad news is those you see or consult with right now may not have sufficient information to truly know the risks, rewards and benefits.
I think some of the EP specialists are also a little skewed in the beliefs about their own results also. I'm sure the one that did the ablation on me considers me some great success story since he never knew the truth about the results.
Many thousands have had the MAZE. The results for most have been spectacular and it is neither experimental nor any where near as risky as some seem to believe.
- Re: catheter ablation Sarah 16:02:40 3/05/2003 (1)
- Not a pretty sight John Behle 16:25:49 3/05/2003 (0)
- Re: catheter ablation Carl Plaskett 14:55:31 3/05/2003 (0)