Posted by Anne Rowthorn on June 07, 2004 at 11:10:11:
In Reply to: Father back in afib one year post mitral valve repair and maze posted by Elizabeth on June 05, 2004 at 09:13:21:
Dear Elizabeth,
I am sorry to hear that your father went into a-fib again. Having gone into a-fib again, he is unfortunately likely to do so again unless he gets those errant electrical curernts ablated. He could also stay on anti-arrhythmics but as everyone will tell you, these loose their effectiveness over time and a-fib still remains a risk. Your father's situation is exactly what happened to me. One year almost exactly to the day, following a mitral valve repair and maze I went back into a-fib. People on this board urged me to make an immediate appointment at the Cleveland Clinic with Dr. Natale (the e. p. there who is most experienced with fixing post-maze problems). It took me 6 months to get it. To make a long story short, I had a combination PVI and ordinary ablation five months ago, and after a few bugs, it's now working fine and I must say it's much better than taking those aweful heart drugs. So tell your father that he is most likely just an ablation away from finally curing a-fib and to pick up the phone!