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Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

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Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI

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Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017

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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

Luther Tilghman, Jacksonville, FL

A-Fib Patient Story #76

100 Mile/Week Bicyclist Develops A-Fib, Opts for Ablation by Dr. Saumil Oza at St Vincent’s in FL

By Luther Tilghman, Jacksonville, FL, Sept. 2014

I would like to share my story about A-Fib and the treatment procedure I had performed. Cardiac ablation has changed my life, and allowed me to get back to my life with no setbacks. I believe others diagnosed with A-Fib should be aware of this treatment, so they could have the same outcome as myself.

Here is my story. In 2012, I was a retired 64-year-old logging nearly 100 miles per week on my bicycle, I lived a healthy lifestyle. And I never thought I would suffer from heart problems. But after suffering from extreme fatigue, I visited my primary doctor and I was diagnosed with A-Fib. The diagnosis came as a big surprise to me.

Dr. Saumil Oza, a cardiac electrophysiologist at St. Vincent’s Heart & Vascular Center in Jacksonville, FL, discussed multiple treatment options with me, but we decided on a procedure called catheter ablation. With up to an 80 percent success rate, cardiac ablation was the best option for my situation. As Dr. Oza says, “In the appropriate patient, this procedure has up to an 80 percent success rate, providing a more permanent solution for patients and helping them avoid the side effects of a long-term medication regimen.”

I had my catheter ablation in June 2012 and the procedure was a success. (It’s been over two years.) I am back on my bicycle, and no longer suffer from A-Fib.

I cannot thank Dr. Saumil Oza, St. Vincent’s, and Biosense Webster enough for giving me my life back, and taking the time to answer all of my questions about cardiac ablation. The St. Vincent’s Heart & Vascular Center website, Answeringafib.com, is a great way to learn more about cardiac ablation and A-Fib, and to read my story and others stories like mine in the Florida area.

LutherTilghman(at)gmail.com

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