When you may have an ongoing medical drawback, discovering a health care provider you belief can imply all the pieces. Having a health care provider who is aware of you, is aware of your historical past, and offers you long-term assist means much less fear. Dealing with sickness is difficult, however having somebody in your nook makes it simpler.
That’s the sort of physician Greg Szafranski discovered when he met UVA Health coronary heart specialist Andrew E. Darby, MD. Darby helped Greg by means of a harmful episode along with his coronary heart. Eight years later, Darby continues to assist and assist Greg along with his coronary heart well being.
Caught in a ‘VT Storm’
In March 2016, Greg Szafranski knew one thing was flawed when his implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shocked him a number of instances. An ICD is a particular pacemaker that restores your coronary heart’s rhythm utilizing electrical shocks when the rhythm will get out of whack (just like a defibrillator).
“Eight shocks or more, I lost count after 8,” says Greg, smiling. Already no stranger to coronary heart illness, he knew the shocks meant he wanted assist instantly.
He was rushed to the emergency room in Culpeper, Virginia, his residence. There, the care group discovered Greg wanted advanced care rapidly. They airlifted him to UVA Health in Charlottesville. “It was an interesting ride,” chuckles Greg.
Getting His Dangerous Heart Rate Under Control
That’s when he first turned Darby’s affected person. “He came in with ventricular tachycardia storm (also called vt storm), which is when patients get a flurry of shocks from their defibrillator,” says Darby. Greg had ventricular tachycardia. His coronary heart was beating dangerously quick and he was in deep trouble.
Darby discovered Greg additionally had a coronary heart rhythm drawback known as atrial fibrillation (afib) that made his coronary heart skip beats. He was going through 2 harmful issues on the similar time.
WHAT IS A DANGEROUS HEART RATE?
Your coronary heart price measures what number of beats you may have in a sure period of time. It’s measured in beats per minute (bpm). A harmful coronary heart price could be both too quick (tachycardia) or too sluggish (bradycardia).A traditional vary in your coronary heart price is between 60 and 100 bpm.
Greg’s History of Heart Disease Catches Up
Greg, now 73, obtained his ICD in 2009 to regulate his afib, the most typical kind of coronary heart rhythm drawback within the U.S. “A virus an infection had weakened his coronary heart,” Darby explains.
Greg underwent a coronary heart process in 2015 known as ablation, however it didn’t do the trick. His coronary heart bother reared its head once more within the subsequent 12 months when he obtained the vt storm that landed him at UVA Health.
In the emergency room, “there were a team of doctors that came in, and immediately, Dr. Darby seemed very confident,” says Tammy Szafranski, Greg’s spouse. “He and the team of doctors talked and he was drawing on a whiteboard.”
They walked Tammy and their 2 grownup kids by means of the likeliest reason behind Greg’s situation — scar tissue from the viral an infection. It disrupted {the electrical} circuit meant to maintain Greg’s coronary heart beating appropriately.
The medical group labored tirelessly to stabilize Greg, even placing him right into a medically induced coma and on a ventilator for five days.
Greg’s Health Problems Mount
But Greg wasn’t within the clear but. He suffered a stroke affecting his proper aspect whereas within the coma.
“It was very obvious when he came out of it that something had happened, and it wasn’t right,” remembers Tammy.
All informed, Greg spent 22 days recovering at UVA Health, the place he was handled for his extreme tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and stroke. Darby and his group obtained Greg’s coronary heart points beneath management, and he began bodily remedy.
Getting Greg Back to Normal
When Greg was wholesome sufficient, Darby carried out one other ablation process to repair the problems along with his coronary heart’s electrical system that brought on the damaging coronary heart price. An ablation burns a small piece of the center. That adjustments the way in which electrical energy strikes by means of your coronary heart so it beats appropriately.
The process this time was a double ablation for Greg’s tachycardia and afib. “I treated both the ventricular tachycardia and the atrial fibrillation, and I’d say that’s something that we don’t do a lot. Either one of those ablations by themselves will take about 3 hours. So doing both together is a pretty big procedure,” says Darby. “A university hospital has access to technology sooner than a lot of hospitals do in the community. So, we’re able to do more complex procedures than a lot of other hospitals can.”
This double ablation strategy, whereas difficult, has stored Greg in good long-term well being. Since 2016, Greg hasn’t had critical coronary heart rhythm points. “If patients get beyond a year from the ablation procedure and haven’t had any recurrences, the chances are fairly slim that it will come back,” explains Darby.
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Choosing the Right Doctor For His Heart
Greg’s household rallied round him within the hospital and past, staying by his aspect by means of his restoration from his harmful coronary heart price. “His wife was at his bedside the whole time. The family was very involved in his care,” remembers Darby. “They’re very supportive.”
Tammy determined to ask Darby to take over as Greg’s common heart specialist. “It was a consensus between the kids and I,” she says.
The day Greg awoke, she approached Darby and requested him if he would tackle Greg’s case. And he agreed. Since 2016, Greg has made common journeys from Culpeper to Charlottesville to see Darby and his group for his coronary heart care appointments. “My wife made a great choice switching to Dr. Darby,” says Greg. “He’s great. And his team,” smiles Greg.
And they didn’t cease at switching Greg’s coronary heart physician. “You have a lot of other specialists here that you see,” she reminds Greg. “We come down here for most of our care,” agrees Greg. They’re now seeing eye, pores and skin, and ear, nostril, and throat specialists right here at UVA Health in Charlottesville, and want to swap to a major care supplier right here as properly.
Today, Greg continues to make his well being his #1 precedence. Throughout his journey, Greg has remained optimistic, specializing in his restoration and staying in contact with Darby and his group at UVA Health.