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After retiring from his career as a photographer, Pennsylvania resident Bob Skalkowski looked forward to spending his time sailing, gardening, exercising, fixing things around the house and taking photos just for fun - but he never expected atrial fibrillation, or AFib, to interfere with his goals and plans. Although he knew that his parents had AFib in their older years, Bob was still in his early 70s and led a truly active lifestyle.
When he suddenly began experiencing symptoms like lightheadedness and ankle swelling, Bob thought it might be simple dehydration. But his wife, Beverly, was concerned and encouraged him to go to see his doctor. Before he knew it, he was in the hospital for five days, with his doctors trying to lower his resting heart rate of 170 beats per minute (60-100 is considered normal for his age). That was when a doctor first diagnosed Bob with AFib.
'I think there needs to be more education about AFib, because most people don't know what it is, what it feels like, or they confuse it with something else like I did,' said Bob.
What is atrial fibrillation?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AFib is an irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia that occurs when the heart beats too fast, too slowly or irregularly. AFib can lead to serious and even fatal events such as blood clots, stroke and heart failure.1 It is estimated that over 12 million people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with AFib by 2030.2
While symptoms can include irregular heartbeat, palpitations, lightheadedness, fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain,1 Bob described his AFib as a hollow feeling. He said it was like 'a space in my chest was opening up.' After his initial diagnosis, he commonly used a mobile electrocardiogram device linked to his phone to track his pulse. As a first treatment step, patients are often given anti-arrhythmic drugs. However, they aren't always effective and can cause side effects, which became yet another reason for concern for Bob.
'My underlying symptom was worry,' said Bob. 'I was always worrying, even when I was taking medications.'
Bob didn't think that the medications were working to resolve his condition, as his AFib episodes still lasted between two and 12 hours. Most of all, he continued to worry that his life would never return to "normal," and that he would have to constantly monitor his heart rate, preventing him from relaxing and enjoying the things that he loved to do.
A new treatment option
Feeling frustrated by his current AFib treatment, Bob often scoured the internet for news about the latest treatments and to see if there were alternative methods to better manage his AFib. During a discussion, Bob's doctor shared that there was a technology being studied in a clinical trial called the FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System. He was intrigued and asked to learn more.
Some patients with heart arrhythmias, including AFib, undergo thermal ablation - a procedure that uses a catheter to apply extreme heat or cold to target areas of the heart. Bob's doctor explained that the FARAPULSE PFA System uses electrical fields instead of extreme temperatures to target specific areas of the heart. He added that it was designed to avoid damage to the esophagus and other surrounding structures, which can result in complications or even death in some rare occurrences.
Bob soon became the first person in Pennsylvania to participate in the clinical trial for this innovative technology.
The FARAPULSE PFA System was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2024 with an indication to treat paroxysmal (i.e., intermittent) AFib and is a unique, new alternative to standard-of-care thermal ablation therapy.
Feeling like himself again
Following his procedure with the FARAPULSE PFA System, Bob was beginning to feel like his old self again. Overall, he was thrilled with the results and delighted to return to sailing, doing home improvement projects and enjoying his life.
"Once you get to a certain age, you're not invincible anymore - you need to see your doctor every year,' said Bob. 'And if you do have AFib, don't be afraid to ask about all the treatment options that are available to you, because your life can depend on it."
There are risks associated with all medical procedures. Please talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of the FARAPULSE PFA System. For more information about AFib treatments and to see if you are a candidate for a FARAPULSE PFA procedure visit www.farapulse.com.
EP-2039316-AA
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atrial Fibrillation. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/atrial_fibrillation.htm. Last Reviewed October 14, 2022. Accessed March 2024.
- Colilla S, Crow A, Petkun W, Singer DE, Simon T, Liu X. Estimates of current and future incidence and prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the U.S. adult population. Am J Cardiol. 2013;112:1142-1147. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2013.05.063.
