- Overview of A-Fib
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Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."
Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."
Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI
“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.
Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...
"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”
Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia
"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."
Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France
"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."
Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ
"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."
Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy
"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."
Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
After 5 Years A-Fib Free, Terry Shares “I Wish I Had Seen an EP Sooner Than I Did”
For over 15 years Terry Traver, Thousand Oaks, CA, suffered with A-Fib. At first, he’d have a 15-hour episode every three months or so. Over the years, though, his A-Fib progressed to persistent and severe to the point of being unable to work.
Sadly, during this time, he was never referred to a cardiologist (and certainly not to cardiac Electrophysiologist). Luckily, a friend put him in touch with a clinical electrophysiologist (EP). In March 2012, he had a successful catheter ablation with a touch-up ablation the following July.
Terry’s Lessons Learned

Terry Traver’s regrets
After being A-Fib free for five years, Terry shared his A-Fib story with our A-Fib.com readers. His ‘Lessons Learned’ include these two regrets:
• I would have had the ablation much sooner. No G.P. [family doctor] ever mentioned ablation as an option. I only heard about it from a friend!
• I had never heard of an electrophysiologist (EP), and wish I had seen one sooner.
Finding the Right Doctor for You
I’m still amazed when an A-Fib patient tells me their family doctor didn’t refer them to a cardiologist, and more importantly, to a cardiac Electrophysiologist.


Consult the right type of cardiologist: Most cardiologists deal with the vascular or pumping functions of the heart (think ‘plumber’). But Atrial Fibrillation is a problem with the electrical function of your heart (think electrician).
It’s important for A-Fib patients to see a cardiac Electrophysiologist (EP)—a cardiologist who specializes in the electrical activity of the heart and in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders.
Educate yourself on treatment options: It’s so important for patients to educate themselves to receive the best treatment. Terry writes that in his 15 years with A-Fib, his GP never referred him to a cardiologist or an EP. Thank goodness a friend stepped in to help him.
Urgency! A-Fib is a Progressive Disease
The longer you wait, the worse A-Fib tends to get. Look at Terry’s story. His disease progressed to Persistent Atrial Fibrillation and was incapacitating.
To learn how to find the right doctor, go to our page: Finding the Right Doctor for You and Your Treatment Goals.