Doctoring in the trenches, using our knowledge and techno-gadgetry to enhance or save lives, is uplifting. Reading news on heath care reform is “not so much.” Reform has yet to begin, but businesses and doctors are already changing their behavior. As chronicled in this depressing piece, it is clear that doctors are joining consolidated practices and […]
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Do doctors know whether their therapies really work? We are doctors. We know. Don’t we? Wide variations in the application of medical treatments often differ greatly, sometimes solely by adjoining county or state line. This shouldn’t be. That a place of residence, not a clinical scenario, determines one’s treatment, highlights the inherent uncertainty of medicine. […]
The chief actuary of CMS has recently released a 20,000 word document stating that even with the expected cost savings from our new health-care law, medical costs will continue to increase. Shocking. Our new health-care law means well. It will surely help some, like those with pre-existing conditions. As a preamble, I need to say: […]
The patient is anxiously sitting on the exam table. A notebook, a pencil and many papers from the internet and other doctors are close at hand. A spouse sits in the accompanying chair with an equally anxious face that says without words, “please help us out here.” The problem at hand is atrial fibrillation. Paroxysms […]
Much energy in previous posts have centered on the ablation of heart rhythm disturbances. Navigating a GPS guided catheter through the beating heart, triangulating the source of the ectopic impulse, and then delivering a cautery-like RF lesion is fun to do, gratifying to all involved, and makes for decent writing topics. However cool ablation is […]
On the way out of the exam room, after proclaiming her happiness on being cured of a lifelong arrhythmia by a single 4mm radio-frequency ablation lesion, the patient shows me the hospital bill and asks why it costs 39,000 dollars? Of course, the answer requires a few words. We are young doctors in training, learning […]
I happily exclaim on entering the patient’s room on morning rounds, “Good news, your heart rhythm is regular, the atrial fibrillation is gone!” “Converted at 0230 this am,” he says in a fatigued voice. I ask, “How do you know it was 0230?” He tells me, “Because the nurse came in, flipped on the lights, […]
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A good day to work…
The sun has long since set in the January dreariness that barely is visible through the rare window in the lead walls of the Cath Lab. The masses are home, the “squishers” are long since done, but two of the five rooms still toil. The rhythm doctors are still rolling -as it is frequently. Heart […]
The phone conversations are overheard. The other doctor is new to the game of private practice and she meticulously explains the illness to a daughter. This persists for about twenty minutes and at the end of the phone call the daughter suggests the doctor needs to talk with the son who is a surgeon […]
There are many highlights of this outstanding meeting but the live cases are always a standout. Today there were 2 from Rochester, MN and one from Boston. Live ablation procedures on real life patients are beamed into the lecture hall via some mysterious satellite through a maze of cables. The operators, with their NFL-coach […]
Not sure if using a question from the comment section is ‘pc’ in the blog-o-sphere but the issue raised is highly worthy of commentary. “Until last May I considered myself to be pretty serious cyclist as well, until exercise induced atrial fibrillation became a problem. Now I’m actually afraid to get on the bike, lest […]