From webinar to AFib procedure: Lieutenant gets expert care

What was supposed to be a routine screening appointment to prepare for hip surgery turned out to be far more for Romeo De Los Reyes. The police veteran and martial arts instructor learned during the screening that something was not quite right with his heart.

“Before I could get the hip surgery, I had to be cleared by the cardiologist,” says Romeo.

Romeo had a screening ECG (electrocardiogram). The ECG showed that his heart was not in a normal rhythm. During that screening, doctors diagnosed him with atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib.

AFib occurs when the upper chambers of the heart beat at an irregular or rapid pace. The abnormal heartbeats are caused by poor electrical signaling in the heart.

“I didn’t notice any symptoms, so I didn’t even know I had it,” says Romeo. “I was completely shocked. But the doctors said it is common for people to not know they have it.”

The doctors gave him medications to treat the AFib. Unfortunately, he had an allergic reaction.

Understanding his options

Given this, his cardiologist referred him to Dr. Farah Dawood, a cardiac electrophysiologist affiliated with the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Burr Heart and Vascular Center. Dr. Dawood had recommended that Romeo undergo a procedure called ablation.

Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure where surgeons apply heat or cold energy to the heart to create scars on the heart. These scars block the faulty electrical signals that cause AFib.

At first, Romeo was unfamiliar with the procedure. However, attending a free webinar about AFib offered by Sharp HealthCare changed that.

“I had watched the webinar and saw that the doctor presenting was Dr. Dawood — the person I was referred to!” says Romeo. “I was more comfortable after seeing the webinar since, now, I knew what my options were.”

After learning about the different options to treat AFib, Romeo decided to move forward with the recommendation to have an ablation.

“I chose to go straight to ablation, not only because Dr. Dawood happened to lead the webinar that I attended, but she is also one of the top electrophysiologists,” says Romeo. “So, I trusted she was going to be successful with my ablation.”

The art of ablation

“AFib ablation is an excellent option for the treatment of AFib to restore normal rhythm and to avoid long-term medication use,” says Dr. Dawood. “Being in the normal rhythm also avoids future complications of AFib, including heart failure, valvular disease and stroke.”

Romeo remembers how his care team at the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Burr Heart and Vascular Center made him feel confident and comfortable.

“Even if you have a procedure on your heart, even if you know things are going to be OK, you don’t know what you don’t know,” Romeo says. “But everyone who took care of me was reassuring — the anesthesiologist, nurses, technicians, everyone.”

Romeo went through the procedure, which requires access to the heart via veins in the groin area. During ablation, which lasts about 2 hours, the patient is deeply sedated to avoid discomfort.

“Mr. De Los Reyes did well and had an excellent outcome,” says Dr. Dawood. “The next day, he felt great and was able to go home. He was back to normal life within a few days,”

It has been more than a year since his procedure, and Romeo says he feels great. “My heart is fine,” he says. “I feel normal knowing that I got the ablation. It’s like I had a nice tune-up.”

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