A-Fib Patients’ Best Advice #7: Persevere—Multiple Treatments May be Needed
‘Persevere-Try More Than One Treatment if Necessary’
Joan Schneider, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, tells about starting with drug therapy: “The Pill-in-the-Pocket (PIP) [drug therapy] served me well prior to my [catheter ablation] procedure.”
Jay Teresi, Atlanta, GA, describes his second ablation after being A-Fib free for three-years: “[My EP] explained that my first procedure was a success. However, during the healing process a tiny spot did not scar [completely] and this allowed the A-Fib to trip again. He ablated that portion and touched up all the other areas. I have now been free of A-Fib [since 2007].”
A-Fib is Not a One-size-fits-all Disease: You may need to address concurrent medical conditions (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea). Likewise, you may need to make lifestyle changes (e.g. diet, exercise, caffeine, alcohol, smoking).
Be tenacious: Your heart is a resilient muscle that tends to heal itself. You may need multiple treatments (drugs, cardioversion, etc.) and repeated procedures (cardioversion, ablation).
Try More Than One Treatment if Necessary.
‘The Top 10 List of A-Fib Patients’ Best Advice” is a consensus of valuable advice from fellow patients who are now free from the burden of Atrial Fibrillation. From Chapter 12, Beat Your A-Fib: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Cure by Steve S. Ryan, PhD.