Re: EP Study

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Posted by Roger Meyer on September 28, 2001 at 05:28:28:

In Reply to: EP Study posted by Angie Strand on September 28, 2001 at 00:41:26:

Angie, you seem to me to be so young to have so many difficulties. Thanks for sharing your experiences to date, and I wish you the best in the steps ahead. I thought I would share that I did have the MAZE (at age 65 after over 25 years in AF)on August 8, and my recovery was on normal course. I felt so good and was excited expecting to be discharged from the hospital early. All seemed well, and I thought I could get back to my life's routines quickly. I did not go into NSR and the surgeon's staff attempted various drugs to no avail. Then I found that I could have a story that was not all about the quick recovery to a wonderful life right after MAZE I have read of here so many times.

While recovering in the hospital, I developed a blood infection (sepsis) and pericardial effusion (fluid pressing on the heart) and had to have emergency surgery performed through the original incision site. I still am not in NSR, but continue in junctional rhythm. I found that no evaluation for a pacemaker can be performed until after I complete six weeks of in-home antibiotic infusion therapy (which I administer)until the infection is conquered. After that, if the infusion therapy is successful, I can be evaluated for a pacemaker if I have not returned to NSR on my own by then. It is looking less and less likely to me that I will return to NSR on my own (no P-wave). With the two surgeries, my hospitalization extended 24 days, and after that I came home to this six week in-home infusion therapy through a PICC line. These are intrusions on my life(and my family's)I/we did not anticipate at all. I had preferred to think I could be one of those "quick in and out" success stories I have read so much about here, but that was not to be. I do want to say that the surgeon and his staff have been extroardinarily supportive to me during this period.

I just thought that I would share that not all MAZE stories are immediate success stories, as your situation is also not "immediate success". But in the longer run, I wish you the very best. Please keep us informed and keep a strong reserve of patience during this time! I wish you Godspeed.

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