Patient Stories
Edward: “A 100% Positive Experience Treating A-Fib”
At first, Edward Wlodarczyk thought very little about the mild shortness of breath that woke him in the middle of the night. “It was occasional, and my family doctor and I chalked it up to mild anxiety,” he says. “It wasn’t until the episodes started occurring during the day that I became a little worried.”
By Thanksgiving 2007, the episodes were becoming more frequent, and Wlodarczyk could feel his heart racing in his chest. A close friend advised him to take his symptoms seriously and see a cardiologist. Heart monitoring revealed that Wlodarczyk indeed had atrial fibrillation, and while it was not debilitating, he was still worried about the potential side effects—such as stroke—that could result should his A-fib continue.
He shared his concerns with a colleague, whose wife worked at the University of Michigan Health System. Through her, Wlodarczyk was introduced to the team at the U-M Cardiovascular Center and to Dr. Oral. “My experience with treatment at U-M was one hundred percent positive,” he says. “I came into Dr. Oral’s office in early January 2008, with a mountain of paperwork, and within two days all of it was scanned into the system so that anyone taking care of me had fast access to my records. His office was professional, well organized and compassionate. Dr. Oral and his assistant, Anna Bollman, made themselves available to me. I felt like there was no question too small or too big that I couldn’t call them about.”
Dr. Oral felt Wlodarczyk was an ideal candidate for the ablation procedure, which he performed on Wlodarczyk in early February 2008. While he experienced some chest discomfort during the first month following the procedure, Wlodarczyk remained unworried, understanding that this was a typical aspect of recovery. Since then, he has experienced a full recovery, with no more episodes whatsoever. Wlodarczyk is grateful to the team at the U-M Cardiovascular Center who saw him through every phase of his treatment, from thoroughly educating him before the procedure, to simply calling to check on him following his discharge. “I want everybody to know how well my treatment worked out because the experience was so positive.”
