Keeping positive perspective

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Posted by Roger Meyer on March 11, 2003 at 08:26:25:

I have wanted in the worst way to think the Maze (August 2001) has worked for me, but I am having an increasingly difficult challenge keeping positive perspective.

I am beccoming increasingly reluctant to keep sharing my ongoing developments here (esp in light of so many successes reported here), but last Thursday, my cardiologist offered me three options. 1) additional medication which he and the EP did not recommend for the probability of side effects that are not always pleasant 2) AV node ablation which would made me totally pacer dependent 3) AV node ablation with pacemaker revision to include AV sequential pacer which would approximate as close as possible a "normal rhythm". I assume that is a euphemism for getting a new pacer less than one year after I received the first one (June 2002).

I remember Steve Giddings (you are a tremendous contributor here Steve) saying in what he said were rare absolute terms on this board "WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LET AN EP SPECIALIST WHO HAS NO EXPERIENCEE WITH POST MAZE PATIENTS ABLATE YOUR AV NODE". I went back into archive to find your specific quote.

Thanks for that Steve! You comment has made me be VERY wary with my local docs now as I severely question the post maze management skills locally, and I have now consulted Cleveland Clinic. Barbara May there indicated what reports would be needed for them to review my case to see if there is anything they can do for me. I expect to be able to send all those materials to CC this week.

I am increasingly reluctant to place myself in the hands of the EP's at the hospital where my maze was performed as I sense an "we could have told you so" atmosphere. I have not been able to feel the EP's there have been supportive of the maze. Perhaps I am wrong, but that is the feeling I have.

It has become increasingly difficult to hang on to the notion that the maze is a success for me. I have to counter repeated comments from others that the maze apparently did not work for me. I work hard not to think that myself. From what I understand, ablating the AV node in the first place instead of the maze would have gotten me out of a-fib and the maze would have been unnecessary. It's hard not to think that if I have AV node ablation now, that the my maze slips to a status of a non-needed treatment.

I am also increasingly doubting that anyone else has had similar post maze experiences. If they have I would appreciate comment.



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