Post by tcranch on Jul 28, 2019 12:24:33 GMT -6
Some of you are aware that my husband has had numerous health issues over the past few years and I've essentially taken over the ranch. But today I'm finally optimistic I'm going to get my husband back. We just got back from the Cleveland Clinic last night and we're both still in a state of amazement.
In addition to numerous rotator cuff surgeries and a laminectomy, he has a-fib and a-flutter to such an extreme that he's pacing 85% of the time (up from 45% last April). "Typical" a-fib episodes are 2% - 5%. He was on the highest dose possible of antiarrhythmics (Sotalol) and had a pacemaker last August, which was an epic fail and included a pneumothorax (they punctured his lung). Fast forward to March when he finally switched to a highly recommended Cardiologist who immediately scheduled a double chamber ablation performed at the Cleveland Clinic, which is the best in the US for Electrophysiology (and his best friend just happens to be the Associate Director of Electrophysiology).
Little scared but willing to try anything, surgery was Thursday. Interesting, part of his left atrium is similar to a pigs heart with numerous veins so clusters of veins were cauterized followed by cauterizing a "fence" around them. As soon as the pulmonary veins were cauterized he went into sinus rhythm. Also discovered there was absolutely no need for the pacemaker in the first place & he was just lucky it hadn't already damaged his heart (made it weaker) so it is now in backup mode. By Thursday evening his dosage of Sotalol was already cut in half and his heart rate has been relatively normal (60's-70's). He has a heart monitor for 13 weeks and realistically should continue to improve. Next up is a sleep study for apnea - had no clue it's the main contributor to a-fib and was never addressed by his former Cardiologist.
Maybe I've become too cynical and watch too much hateful news about how our country is so divided but we were blown away by the courtesy and friendliness of not only every staff member we encountered at the Clinic but the hotel staff, shuttle bus drivers, other patients/families and even Delta airline, who immediately ordered a wheelchair and bumped us up to comfort class.
I'm doing my happy dance!
In addition to numerous rotator cuff surgeries and a laminectomy, he has a-fib and a-flutter to such an extreme that he's pacing 85% of the time (up from 45% last April). "Typical" a-fib episodes are 2% - 5%. He was on the highest dose possible of antiarrhythmics (Sotalol) and had a pacemaker last August, which was an epic fail and included a pneumothorax (they punctured his lung). Fast forward to March when he finally switched to a highly recommended Cardiologist who immediately scheduled a double chamber ablation performed at the Cleveland Clinic, which is the best in the US for Electrophysiology (and his best friend just happens to be the Associate Director of Electrophysiology).
Little scared but willing to try anything, surgery was Thursday. Interesting, part of his left atrium is similar to a pigs heart with numerous veins so clusters of veins were cauterized followed by cauterizing a "fence" around them. As soon as the pulmonary veins were cauterized he went into sinus rhythm. Also discovered there was absolutely no need for the pacemaker in the first place & he was just lucky it hadn't already damaged his heart (made it weaker) so it is now in backup mode. By Thursday evening his dosage of Sotalol was already cut in half and his heart rate has been relatively normal (60's-70's). He has a heart monitor for 13 weeks and realistically should continue to improve. Next up is a sleep study for apnea - had no clue it's the main contributor to a-fib and was never addressed by his former Cardiologist.
Maybe I've become too cynical and watch too much hateful news about how our country is so divided but we were blown away by the courtesy and friendliness of not only every staff member we encountered at the Clinic but the hotel staff, shuttle bus drivers, other patients/families and even Delta airline, who immediately ordered a wheelchair and bumped us up to comfort class.
I'm doing my happy dance!
