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

Has My A-Fib Returned? I Get an Insertable Wireless Monitor to Find Out

Published September 14, 2018

Update 5 pm (see below): During a recent medical exam, one of my doctors (not a cardiologist) detected an irregular heart beat. I didn’t feel any symptoms before, during or after the appointment, so I wasn’t alarmed. But I did make an appointment with my EP.

Medtronic Reveal LINQ ICM

When I met with my EP, he took an ECG but didn’t find A-Fib (thank goodness). But, just to be sure, he recommended implanting a tiny wireless heart monitor so he can review my heart activity over time.

I Get a Reveal LINQ Insertable Cardiac Monitor

So yesterday, as an outpatient, I had a tiny cardiac monitor implanted just under the skin near my heart. The minimally invasive procedure took the doctor about 2 minutes to do. (Most of my time at the hospital was spent doing paperwork).

My doctor used the Medtronic Reveal LINQ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM)—one of the world’s smallest cardiac monitors—the device is approximately one-third the size of a AAA battery.

MyCareLink transmitter

The Reveal LINQ System includes a bedside unit that collects heart rhythm data from the ICM and wirelessly sends it to my doctor every evening.

The device allows my cardiologist to continuously monitor my heart for up to 3 years.

Setup to transmit: I got it all set up and it’s working. But I don’t expect to get any feedback from my EP any time soon. I’ll publish an update when I have something to report.

My incision for the ICM

Update 5 pm: I forgot to mention that I had no pain with this procedure. They used some numbing agent on the incision area, but I’ve had no pain afterwards (it’s now about 36 hours since the insertion). No sutures. They applied a clear bandage that holds the tissue together while healing.

There’s no visible sign of the device. If I press the area I can barely feel the outline of the ICM. It’s possible this will diminish with time as the surrounding tissue encases it.

I’ll write more: I’ll talk with my EP in a couple of weeks when he has reviewed some of the data received via the MyCareLink wireless transmitter. (I assume he has some data processing feature that will alert him before that if the readings are outside normal specs.)

VIDEO: The Insertion Procedure

An animated video (music, no narration) by Medtronic, shows how the Reveal LINQ ICM monitor is inserted through a tiny incision just under the skin near the heart. Special tools are used to make a small incision and another to hold the ICM and “plunge” it under the skin. About 2:45 min.