Re: Back in Afib

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Posted by Carl Plaskett on January 05, 2004 at 10:30:00:

In Reply to: Re: Back in Afib posted by Glenn Camp on January 05, 2004 at 08:19:01:

Glenn: I've got to disagree with your conclusion that:"the majority of those who have had PVA or the Maze still have problems." To reach that conclusion from the few folks who have posted re:having PACs/PVCs/atrial flutter, and even fewer, afib post-procedure, is a gross misreading of the results the majority of us enjoy.
Most of us did have PACs/PVCs, "skips", "blips", or whatever for a few to several months post procedure during the "healing" process. A few (less than 10,I'm sure) have had afib more than 5 months post procedure, and most of those have subsequently become afib-free within 6-8 months. A VERY few (less than 5 to date, I'm sure) have had to have touch-up procedures (ablations) as much as a year or more post-procedure.

I believe analysis of who/where/what procedure was done on those who have had the most difficult time post-procedure might reveal that most of those were done using other than the "gold standard" Maze III or "older" PVA/PVI techniques/tools, or even attempts at "less invasive" or other attempts to make the procedures more "patient friendly", which may have resulted in lesions not being deep enough to eliminate the errant electrical pathways. Some of these folks may have had chaotic electrical pathways, perhaps similar to you, and have needed subsequent touch-ups. There are many folks posting here who were near or complete "basket cases" (not unlike you) prior to our procedures, and we have resumed extremely active lives, even though some of us might have had some "blips" along the way which we were forwarned were part of the healing process.
Please go back and read posts from those who posted 2-3 years ago and then check to see how many of them have posted re: current problems. Write some of them offline to see how they are doing if they are no longer posting on a regular basis. I KNOW that the Maze vets who helped me over 3 years ago are ALL still doing great, as I write them periodically to thank them. Even the first Maze III patient from 1987, a former chief pilot for an airline (who regained his FAA certificate post-maze),is still doing great.

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