I would like to thank Michael Palazzo for offering his technical and artistic talents and above all, his emotional support to the development of this web site. Without his help, I probably would never have completed this project.

I would also like to thank all the patients who have shared their experiences with atrial fibrillation and encouraged me to develop this learning tool.

As already mentioned elsewhere on this site, the goal of this project is to provide access to information about the available treatment options for AF. The hope is that accurate information will guide patients to make informed decisions with the help of their physicians.

For many years, AF has been considered to be a benign condition. In working with many patients with atrial fibrillation, I know that it is not a benign disorder and yes, it does impact every aspect of daily life. I hope that by understanding the "ins and outs" of AF a bit better, it will make it easier for those who are troubled by this arrhythmia.

If you have comments or questions about this web site, please feel free to contact me

Here are just a few comments from our Maze patients describing their lives before and after the Maze procedure...

From Jim Sparaga@nemaine.com:

“Greetings from the frozen north!”

“Now that it's six months since my Maze in August 1998, I can happily report that my recent tests have proven that my atrial flutters and fibs are gone. I've had only three or four skipped beats in that entire time, once a flurry of them, when I overexhuberantly charged up a hill running the dogs and ran my pulse up to 150 very fast with no warm-up. All other running times have produced no flutters. And there are none the rest of the time. The best part is that I FEEL better all the time, with NO medications at all. I forgot what it felt like to be medication-free, until I was able to drop them all: my mind was clear, my memory has improved, and I can now almost keep up with the seven women in my office!”

“Needless to say, life is good. I now snowboard at will, exercise freely, and sleep almost peacefully (life in the fast lane will probably never allow that all the time). At 52 years, this dentist can pursue his avocation with gusto once again, for which I am most grateful. This week, the FAA is re-issuing my medical certificate for my flying license, and the examiners are astounded at my turn-around. And I love it.”

“Should anyone out there ask, I'd recommend they pursue a Maze correction BEFORE they get run down for years dealing with drugs, and tolerating limited activity.”

“Thanks again to you and Dr. Cox for making it all happen. I've worked in many hospitals, and commend you folks at Georgetown for your top-notch professionalism and grouping together such high-caliber individuals. You all make a great team.”

“With love in my heart for all,”

Jim Sparaga

LPTeague@aol.com writes:

“Three electro-cardioversions converted me to sinus rhythm, but after about a week I reverted to AF each time. Amiodarone had no effect on my chronic AF. When an electrophysiologist told me that I was going to have to change my lifestyle to accomodate the chronic AF and stay on Coumadin and Toprol for the rest of my life, I refused to accept his prognosis. I started an extensive web search of the medical literature to see if there were any alternatives to my doctor's prognosis. That's how I learned about Dr. James L. Cox and the Maze procedure. I self-referred myself to Dr. Cox.”

“I had the minimally-invasive Maze surgery on June 26, 1998. My post-surgery rehabilitation was so effective that I considered myself to be totally recovered seven weeks later, although the heart's healing process probably takes about three months. Based on my experience, I think proper strength training (using a safe and effective protocol: SuperSlow) and walking, accelerate recovery. The rapid loss of muscular strength and tone from the surgery are (I think) a major cause of the weakness and malaise in the first few weeks of the recovery period. Walking alone is of little help in regaining muscular strength.”

Regards,

Paul

From GFree Now@aol.com:

“I have been waiting to see if my surgery actually cured my atrial fibrillation. Well, it has been four and half months, and I am off all drugs and no pacemaker, and I am in full sinus rhythm.”

“As many of you know, I am one of about 400 patients of Dr. [James] Cox, who is at the Georgetown University Medical Center [of Washington, DC]. I underwent the Maze procedure on April 14 of this year [1998].”

“I had been plagued with atrial fibrillation for about seven years and, as a 53 year-old male, I was pretty tired of the many drugs (6 grams/day of Procainamide, .75 mg/day Lanoxin, 50 mg/day Toprol, and variable amounts of Coumadin daily to thin the blood) and the three cardioversions. With all that, still having more than occasional attacks of a-fib and lack of energy, and the ability to breathe well.”

“When Snicker112@aol.com told us about her husband and his cure from a-fib brought by Dr. Cox and his surgery, I was excited. She provided me with research papers and I made up my mind to have the surgery done if my a-fib ever came back full-time. It did about a year later.”

“With the aid of a good insurance plan and an understanding employer, I was able to make a date for surgery.”

“When I first met Dr. Cox, he said that most patients need about three months after surgery for the rhythm to return to a normal mode. Of course, I thought that I would be the exception to the rule and I would come out of the surgery with a new heart, and in twelve days, I would go on the grand tour of Washington, DC, board a plane and head home a new man... Wrong! In twenty-eight days, I headed home on the same heavy doses of drugs and a brand new, shiny pacemaker.”

“Three months later to the day of surgery, Dr. Cox took me off all medications and turned off the pacemaker. I guess it was time to fish or cut bait, and there was no reason to continue the meds or pacing since my heart was now healed and able to beat on its own.”

“This was the best day. My heart was beating in unassisted sinus rhythm for the first time and the future was bright. Since that day, I have not had one episode of a-fib, and I have returned to a normal life.”

“I cannot recommend this procedure more highly for people who can't live with this condition, or the terrible drugs and their effects.”

“I had the open-chest surgery and that really had a great impact on me, however, there is now a [minimally-invasive] technique which is quite successful.”

“I now have a new life and feel that life is truly worth living again. I hope that this helps make up the mind of anyone who is considering this surgery...”

All the best to you,

GFree Now

For More Information: If you have further questions about the Maze procedure, please call the office of James L. Cox, M.D. (International Medical Group) at 202.467.8808.

About the Author

Mary O. Palazzo, RN, MS, CCRN ... nurse ... teacher ... kennel help

Nicknamed “Terri” ... graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University and later went on to earn a master's degree in nursing administration while working full-time as a staff nurse in GUMC's cardiovascular intensive care unit.

A 1999 Wyeth-Ayerst Fellow, Ms. Palazzo is the Director of Cardiac Services at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC. She also serves as a nurse consultant, and is a frequent contributor and nurse reviewer for a number of publishing firms.

Popular on the national lecture circuit, Terri teaches critical care nurses about rhythm disturbances and care of cardiac surgery patients. Her recent article for the American Journal of Nursing (published in the May 1999 issue) deals extensively with a number of current medical and surgical issues in the management of atrial fibrillation. She has taught at the National Teaching Institute, as well as other advanced-practice symposiums, and her talks are available to professionals via audiotape, and through streaming media on the internet for CEU credit through the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).

In her spare time, Terri breeds and shows Australian Terriers.