I'll Endorse the statement offered above: Find Good Dr.'s with Great Credentials.
Another A-Fib patient "Checking-In".
The community where I live has a Medical School. When I was diagnosed by my G.P. with A-Fib he referred me to a Cardiologist at the Local Med. School. She saw me Once, Next time went in I was seen by a Physician Assistant. I asked about the Cardiologist I'd seen before, the P.A. said, "Oh, She Retired"! ( l Later learned that Cardiologist Left & moved to a bigger/better University Medical School).
Not so Short end to a long story, after 18 months of seeing ONLY Physician Assistants (4 to be exact, No More Cardiologists) I asked my G.P. if she could help me see one of the Cardiologists on appointments instead. She smiled & said, "Probably Not. You can either go upstairs & make "A Big Stink" or simply consider a move to Another Cardiology Practice in town. I did Just As She instructed. The New Cardiologist & I were getting along Very Well until she Referred me to one of their Cardiac Surgeons. On our Initial visit he URGED Me to have a Surgical Procedure, have "Watchman" put in. My "Gut Instincts" said NO! He Assured me 'sooner or later you're going to NEED This' After some-more discussion I agreed to have the preliminary test necessary, a 3-D Scan of my heart, however before I agreed I asked him to describe "In Exact & Minuet Detail What would be involved in having Just the Scan!" He "breezed thru" like it was little more than having a Polaroid taken"! WRONG. It turned out to be Horrible. The Isovue 370 injection - (Most Potent one they have for 3-D Scans) caused The Worst Reaction I've Ever Had, & I Don't mean since this whole "Freight-Train Wreck A-Fib diagnosis" began!
THAT WAS IT! "I'd HAD IT!" I stopped going to the cardio Practice. Stopped going to Dr.'s All Together! PERIOD. My Body Desperately Need A Rest. I absolutely HAD to let it "De-Tox" from ALL the Medications that had been Shoved at me over the past 2-1/2 years ... I felt like a Zombie!
Last Month my Daughter called, (She lives in a larger city 90 miles away) One of the Cardiology Practices near her home had Just been up-graded, now equal to Mayo & Cleveland Clinic, she suggested I call & make an Appt.
OK? I called That Same Day, booked an appt. to see one of their Cardiologists +- 2 weeks hence. I took all my Medical/Heart files along, dropped them off the day before, so when we Saw the Dr. he could reviewed what I'd already had, he Actually said I'd had More Tests than They Generally Ever order. Conclusion: Because I have such limited cholesterol in my system, scan's show practically NO Plaque floating around in my corotid arteries, he would put me in a .07 to .04% Risk percentile for a Stroke. IF I HAD Had the procedure the Cardiologist (at Home) was URGING, it would lower that Stroke Risk to .05 to .03%.
It's Up to Us. (& He Added, '& There are Always Other Risks involved in Having Procedures other than Stroke.' ) Would I Like to think about it or schedule a Procedure with them? It should lower my Risk of a Stroke .02%!
(Need I say it didn't take my daughter & I Long to agree ... "Thanks, but No Thanks." (He didn't say anything, just smiled & nodded approval.
As we were leaving he thanked us for coming in & asked if we would like to come back. He said he seldom sees 87 Yr. Olds in as good shape as me. The A-Fib is The Only thing I Am being treated for, & if this hadn't happened I would be phanominally Well for my Age. He added my Mentally Alertness at 87. "Whatever You're Doing, Keep It Up ... Hope To See You Again.
Oct. 28th we're going back.