Posted by John Behle on January 27, 2004 at 17:36:07:
In Reply to: Ablation in Utah posted by Rob on January 27, 2004 at 16:54:31:
Rob, you have an incredible opportunity and resource available right here in Utah.
One of the top MAZE surgeons in the country is right in SLC at LDS hospital. Dr. Roger Millar did my MAZE when I was 43 and I haven't had an errant beat since. I suffered for 30 years with AFib and in a day it was gone forever.
I searched and searched for years for someone in Utah that had a clue. I had an ablation from one of the top people - it lasted for a week.
Personally, I would not consider an ablation under any condition. All I read and hear is problems, problems, problems on the newer ablations. It IS experimental at this stage. There is a greater danger than with the MAZE and the complications can be horrific.
Every day I read of Ablation complications. Maybe someday the MAZE will be a distant memory - but I don't think it is here yet. The older ablations have few success stories. I know of few who have had long term success through them. Their statistics are flawed as to both the risks and rewards. Somewhere about a year ago someone posted a link to a study that showed the risks of stroke are higher with ablations than with the MAZE and just today we see where a doctor turned his head for a moment and caused devastating results.
I'm not a medical expert and will probably start a war with this post by pro-ablation supporters. Yet, I've had a successful MAZE and watched every post on this board for 3 years. A year or so ago it was a beautiful thing to watch. Someone would come on, read about the MAZE, face the fears, have the surgery and begin a new life. Some have short term complications that are solved over time or with a "touch up ablation" which is different than the type of ablations that are being talked about daily here. Over time, there have been very few un-successful MAZE operations and few long term complications.
Now, almost every day we hear about ablation problems. Maybe successful ablation people don't own computers and successful MAZE people do. Maybe unsuccessful MAZE patients don't post messages, but unsuccessful ablation patients do. Possibly that is the case, but before considering either route, I would take the time and read every message on this board.
Talk to a MAZE surgeon that is experienced and talk to an ablation surgeon. Good luck finding the later in Utah. But as to the MAZE surgeon, I would recommend no one more highly than Dr. Millar. He saved my life. He's done somewhere close to or more than 300 MAZE operations and is one of the most experienced heart surgeons in Utah. I was impressed to find his associates to be two of the greatest heart surgeons ever to come through Utah. Current associate Kent Jones. Past associate Russell M. Nelson. The care before, during and after the surgery were like nothing I have ever experienced. I grew up in a medical family and have known hundreds of doctors. I've never seen anyone that even compared - from the blunt question at our first meeting that was something like "have you had enough?" to our last followup visit where he was almost in tears sharing my joy of being cured.
I thank God for this newsgroup and to finally find someone in Utah that not only had a clue - but a cure.
I'm in Provo and would love to talk with you or meet with you at any time if that would be helpful. Email me if you would like and I'll buy you lunch sometime or talk over the phone.
- Re: MAZE in Utah Henry Alken 22:36:09 1/27/2004 (0)
- Re: MAZE in Utah Rob 18:32:50 1/27/2004 (1)
- Re: MAZE in Utah John Behle 18:42:00 1/27/2004 (0)