Terrified!

Well actually I've been thru it before and I guess that's the reason i'm so terrified again! I am having Open heart surgery on Tuesday for my afib! They have to do the maze procedure because they can't do the minimally invasive procedure because of the prior open heart surgery I had for my ASD repair. the good news is that they think they'll be able to get all the afib that's causing my problems and i'll be back better than new. Can I sing ....."rain drops" roses and crisp apple struddles---------- I guess that really won't help lol!

4 Comments

Maze

by golden_snitch - 2015-03-13 01:03:47

Ok, I only understood from your previous post that you were not able to have the pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) to treat your Afib, because that would require puncturing a hole into your fixed atrial septal wall. Next step would have been the mini maze, which is a bit like an epicardial ablation - not a full blown heart surgery, but open-chest with the doctors going in via keyholes and ablating on the outside of the heart. The maze you are describing now would have been the last option. Sorry to hear that the mini maze is not possible, either, and that you have to get the big procedure done.
All the best!

sending good thoughts your way

by capecod - 2015-03-13 02:03:32

hi there
from your other posts and comments it is obvious you are an optimistic and strong woman. sending good karma your way for tuesday!
patty

Mini maze

by golden_snitch - 2015-03-13 02:03:35

I don't think a mini maze is comparable to the open heart you had for you ASD. Shared a room with a mini maze patient last time I was in the hospital, and also read quite a bit about it. There is no sternotomy, no heart-lung-bypass, no operning of the heart actually, only the pericardium, and the incisions are generally much smaller, more like keyhole surgery. It's a minimal invasive procedure, much like an epicardial ablation. Of course, I might be completely wrong about this, but if I'm right, then this is going to be a lot easier than your previous ASD surgery and you are going to recover more quickly.
Anyways, good luck for your surgery! Hope they'll be able to stop your Afib and that you'll be much better afterwards!

Golden-snitch

by kmom - 2015-03-13 09:03:15

you are correct that the minimize or minimally invasive procedure does not require open heart surgery or heart lung bypass etc. it would have been the ideal thing, however since I've had previous openheart procedure they can NOT do the minimize. The only choice I have in this case is the full blown open heart procedure they usually don't do that unless you are having open heart procedure done for something else such as a bypass or something but again because of the existing scar tissue from my previous surgery its too risky to do the minimally invasive procedure. I keep wondering something times what the heck am I doing but I was reminded all last night why when my heart rate stayed up in the 90's and hundreds and pounding. hopefully this will all be worth it in the end. Thanks for your prayers.

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