osodecanela (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
osodecanela) wrote2013-05-02 01:58 pm
osodecanela) wrote2013-05-02 01:58 pm
Just got back from seeing ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
allanh....
For someone who just had surgery, he's looking pretty good. He's having some significant pain which is to be expected, but was alert and in decent spirits.
And more importantly, off of his cardiac meds is in a normal heart rhythm, which is thrilling news. His procedure is a two step surgery, the first part on the outside of the heart, which was the more invasive procedure, and tomorrow he'll have the internal part done in the cardiac cath lab, rather than in the operating room. He thinks they'll release him sometime this weekend.
I've been asked what an ablation is. Basically there are specific specialized heart muscle fibers that either conduct or cause heart rhythm abnormalities. A cardiac electro-physiologist can identify the errant fibers that are 'misbehaving' and 'zap' them electrically so they stop conducting the electrical impulses abnormally. Viola, no more problem rhythm such as Allan's atrial fibrillation. The majority of these high tech procedures are done via a cardiac catherization and the problematic fibers are zapped from inside the heart. Sometimes however the problem fibers cannot be completely accessed that way and a surgery to enter the chest from the outside is required.
And more importantly, off of his cardiac meds is in a normal heart rhythm, which is thrilling news. His procedure is a two step surgery, the first part on the outside of the heart, which was the more invasive procedure, and tomorrow he'll have the internal part done in the cardiac cath lab, rather than in the operating room. He thinks they'll release him sometime this weekend.
I've been asked what an ablation is. Basically there are specific specialized heart muscle fibers that either conduct or cause heart rhythm abnormalities. A cardiac electro-physiologist can identify the errant fibers that are 'misbehaving' and 'zap' them electrically so they stop conducting the electrical impulses abnormally. Viola, no more problem rhythm such as Allan's atrial fibrillation. The majority of these high tech procedures are done via a cardiac catherization and the problematic fibers are zapped from inside the heart. Sometimes however the problem fibers cannot be completely accessed that way and a surgery to enter the chest from the outside is required.