Its now been 15 weeks since I had the Wolf Mini Maze done by Dr. Wolf himself in Houston Texas (in the states). What a beautiful and exciting feeling it is to wake up and go through the day, bed over to scrub floors or do garden work, have several beers with friends or even a few cocktails, ride bike, job and back into kick boxing, travel, roller skate, jet ski, paddle board, run etc ... AND NO AFIB at all, ever!!!!
As a 6 year veteran of afib, with the last years ending with the monster attacking me 5-7x a week, 3-30 continuous hours, and heart rate from 160-210, so fortunate to wake up and not even think about it any more. No meds, no anti-coagulants, nothing.
Went to see my regular EP yesterday for the first time since I had the surgery. I talked with him about Dr. Wolf some 6 months earlier and said he had heard of him. Today, he was so delighted to see that I was permanently out of afib. At This visit, he was very well informed about his procedure, how it was done, what was different that the traditional methods and why his success rates were in the mid 90% range. The one thing he said that I was excited to hear him say was that he agrees with Dr, Wolf that AFIB is not a heart problem but rather a nerve problem. One of the reasons ablations dont usually work, Ive not been on any meds since I woke up from surgery.
Wish more thoracic surgeons would learn Dr. Wolf's mini maze procedure and duplicate it world wide. He has been doing these for over 17 years now with mid 95% success rate of ending Afib. Yes it is an investment that the hospital will have to make for all the specialize equipment , yes it is an investment of time and experience for the surgeons but in the long run.... ridding people of afib, getting them out of the emergency rooms, getting them out of hospital, off all the horrible drugs, and stop the barbaric practice of repeated ablations that scar the inside of the heart. The problem is on the outside, not the inside. Being able to have not just a quality of life, but living as if AFIB was never part of your life, is so worth it.
Both Japan and China have surgeons that Dr. Wolf trained. What about my UK family and friends? Why are these surgeons not getting this training? Dont they want too?
Im grateful to have had this group over the past 6 years, and met some amazing people here. Yall have been a source of my strength and my craziness at times. I learned about Dr. Wolf's procedure on this very site. Yall have educated me and thereby impacted my life. My hope is that some day soon, other surgeons will pick up on this procedure and bring it to their community.
Continued NSR (normal sinus rhythm for you newbies')
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Bambi65
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I have no idea why this procedure has not been taken up by UK specialists, all I know is the costs to travel to US & to pay privately for the procedure would prohibitive for all but a tiny minority in Europe.
As we have such completely different healthcare system which are funded SO differently I really don’t believe you can compare them and therefore comment but cost will be a huge factor.
My experience & understanding of AF leads me to believe that there are varying causes of AF and therefore very different solutions.
Start asking you EP's why this is not being done here with such a high success rate of ENDING afib, one and your done, and getting off all meds.
Hi Bambi, it’s good to hear that things are still going well for you. There is a hospital here in the UK known as the Royal Papworth which is famous for all forms of heart surgery including heart transplants and they perform a maze treatment as detailed in the following link
It may not be exactly the same as you experienced as their may be legal issues which prevent the “Wolf” version from being duplicated around the world. That’s something your hubby may know more about!
It seems incredible that when we met in November 2019, you wouldn’t consider any form of intervention for your AF and now in 2021, you have undergone something which, as I understand it, is far more complex than any ablation. So far, the results have been outstanding and let’s hope that before long, this treatment becomes available for anyone who is prepared to take it on.
Normally, after 15 weeks we would still be encouraging folk not embark on excessive activities so I hope you are not overdoing things, it’s one thing to be feisty!!! but I expect hubby is keeping an eye on you…..all the best, John
I really cant explain how amazing I feel. You know how much I hate being around medical stuff and terrified at the thought of me being the subject of it.... LOL, If I could just get to Houston, Just get to the hotel, Just get to the OR... my poor hubby suffered through all of this. But Im up and have been non stop since. 10 days after surgery I flew to North Carolina to move my special needs daughter's furniture and clothing from her place into a storage facility nearly 200 miles away. Then flew back to Florida. Been on the go since then, non stop. At times I still cant believe I did it, although so thankful I did.
Hey I just read the link you put up... Holy shit! Not even close to what Wolf does. With this, first its open heart surgery. Second you are put on a heart and lung machine; they stop your heart. They cut into it. ..
I just stopped reading at this point. I was getting a bit disturbed by it. Here are just a few of the differences:
Wolf does not stop your heart. He operates on a beating heart!
He does not put you on a heart and lung machine.
This is NOT open heart surgery. just 3 small incisions
He does not deflate your lungs.
When he is done (45 min per side) your are in NSR before leaving the OperatingRoom.
He ablates the vagal nerve at the trigger points that cause the Afib
Dont by any means, consider doing this......... please my friend, its just not a good idea. Technology is coming to you soon. Hang in there. I know that people that have installed the watchman to get off the anti-coagulants are not candidates for this procedure, (forgot why). Lets start talking to the EP's where you are and get them interested in learning about the Wolf Mini Maze.
Hurray!You’re right about barbaric ablation’s, when I first heard about them, I thought wow, there’s the solution but after reading up on here about people still taking drugs months after & then going in for another & another, some on this site have had 6 plus, crazy & you got the appendage removed too, win win, well done!!!
I don’t regard it as a cure - it may come back. And I was having very symptomatic episodes 4 or 5 times a week lasting 5/6 hours. So I am very pleased but not complacent. I take magnesium taurate but that again is my own choice. Good luck ☘️
Im assuming your much younger than me. Im very accident prone and bleeding and falling are part of my weekly events... Husband was very concerned about internal bleeding, hitting my head, while on the anti-coagulants. Being off them has given us peace of mind. I still have accidents and I dont think that will ever change. I owned a construction company and I still build and demolition stuff around the house. Drives my hubby crazy. So glad your happy with your ablation that is working for you.
your a tad older than me... Wish I wasnt so accident prone. Been like this most of my life. Im a farm girl that uses all kinds of power tools, and the scariest for my husband is when I bring out the chain saw to take down a few trees. And Yes there have been a couple of near misses resulting in shredded jeans and boots.
So pleased of your success. I just wish some of our heart surgeons would work with Dr Wolf to make this available over here in the UK. I have always resisted ablations and always will because I can’t see the point if the aim is not to cure. There are too many risks for me.
So good to hear your positive report; I remember well how terrified you were in the weeks preceding your op. But it was all worthwhile - here's to a long and happy AF-free life!
Thank you .... I was beyond terrified! We were on the plane heading to Houston, and they started to close the door. I jumped up and said NO. I CANT DO THIS. hubby had all he could do to hold me before having an "airline incident" that we see on the news. LOL But, we did it and Im so happy it happened.
Hello Bambi. Glad that it is working out so well for you. You said that your mother had the same operation at the same time more or less. How is she doing?
She is doing well..... she was in perm. afib for 2 years before having this. Now she has flutter, and is scheduling to get cardioverted. Not uncommon after a WMM for those that have other underlying conditions like she did. But she is sooooo much better
*** STOP THE PRESS*** Bambi has added notes/corrections, which immediately follow my comment *** I've also had some feedback from another WNN alumni.
To be clear, I have not had the WMM and my information was gleaned from the Internet and from former patients' stories on Facebook.
Bambi is a force of nature ! I follow her posts on the Wolf Mini Maze Facebook group and Bambi is a tornado. Some patients take longer than Bambi to recover and have other underlying heart issues and scarring from previous ablations that interfere with the WMM.
For the uninitiated to the WMM, here is the rundown (Bambi will correct me if I got it wrong):
1. The WMM (Wolf Mini Maze) is a "minimally invasive" procedure (as far as heart surgeries go) that forms a maze of scars (hence the name) on the OUTSIDE of the heart, rather than on the inside of the heart.
The WMM differs from other procedures with "maze" in the title, in that it does not do a full maze of scars. The WMM tests for and ablates rogue electrical pulses that excite the left atrium and cause it to spasm at 300-600bpm, rather than contract at a normal rate.
The WMM ablates heart tissue around the Pulmonary Veins (right and left), the vagal nerves to the Ganglionated Plexi, and the nerves going to the Ligament of Marshall.
The procedure is unlike a catheter ablation, when a small hole has to be made in the tissue separating the right atrium (where the instruments arrive) to the left atrium, where the veins are to be ablated.
Dr Wolf also clamps the Left Atrial appendage where clots may form during AFib, leading to a stroke, and no anti-coagulants and rhythm control is needed thereafter.
It is named after the inventor Dr Randall Wolf since 20 years ago, and Dr Wolf also invented special tools that are used in the procedure and by other surgeons.
To Date Dr Wolf performed some 2,500 procedures with a reported success rate of 95% or so to be in NSR after, it it claimed.
2. One inch Incisions are made on both sides of the chest near the armpits where the instruments are passed between the ribs. The heart is not stopped and the lungs are not collapsed and slightly deflated to allow the instruments to pass. Tubes are left in place for a day or so to drain the area.
3. Some patients appear to experience much pain initially, and other merely experience discomfort, alleviated by painkillers. There is "banding" after the procedure, which I still don't fully understand. Some call it a pressure on the chest.
Some experience discomfort because of the positioning on the operating table, especially for those with neck / back issues.
The heart rate is raised initially and may continue for a while until settling down. Some experience Atrial Flutter which settles spontaneously and is usually associated with previous procedures, which may require a further catheter ablation.
4. The recovery is amazing with Bambi whizzing around in NSR after five weeks (Bambi's reports). The oldest patient was 94, I believe and no mortalities have been reported.
5. I was swept by the WMM cult and enquired about the cost, which is $150,000, which may be too rich for the uninsured...
Unlike ablations where they "spot" burn or freeze in an attempt to form scar tissue which leaves gaps since they are not a solid scar. The tool he uses wraps around the entire pulmonary vein leaving a solid scar that has no spaces for the current to slip through. He gave me pictures of this and if I can I will add it here.
There is 3 incisions on each side, one for the light, one for the instrument, and one for the very small lung drain, all are under the arm pit area.
I was whizzing around 10 days later, as I had to fly to North Carolina to move the entire contents of my special needs daughters place, into a storage facility 200 miles away, and then fly back to Florida. All of this was done in 3 days.
Then drove back to NC the following week with a complete trundle bed for my mom. Then left the car at her house and flew the 1.5 hour flight back to Florida.
Then went to Cancun, for windsurfing, jet skiing etc around 6 or 7 weeks.
There were no limitations or restrictions on activity for me so I went full force.
The fun just never stops here..... LOL
Thank you for your comments.... I truly wish other medical personnel would get this for their patients. What a life saver, no meds, no er trips, peace of mind for so many lives.
my actual heart and that is the tool he uses to completely surround the vein
Bambi, if you have time, could you please explain how you set up your appointment with Dr. Wolf, and the process you went through prior to surgery? If you had trouble getting your insurance to cover the surgery? Mine keeps fighting me wanting me to try meds, and internal heart ablation before trying this wonderful procedure. Was your insurance an HMO? That's what I have now, and they are so controlling. Going to switch to another policy that's not an HMO, and see how that goes. So glad to hear you are doing well!
Call Kimberly, Dr. Wolf's nurse, directly and ask her which insurance companies will accept this. There have been soooo many that have switched during this open enrollment time. I do recall that there is one type that allows out of state surgeries. the number in Texas is: 713-441-9342 and her email is: kmartinez3@houstonmethodist.org
Bambi, what enrollment time are you referring to? I can only change my plan here in Illinois as a retiree July 1, of 2022. Are you speaking of some other situation I'm not aware of? Thank you for helping me!!!! Jeff
Thank you so much for sharing! Prayers of thanksgiving for the blessings of finding this information! My husband was recently diagnosed and I hope he will agree to travel to see Dr Wolf and see if he is a candidate for the Mini Maze procedure!
So delighted that you have learned of this!!! The easiest way to find out is to call or email his office. Kimberly is awesome, she will get your information and then set up a one hour video chat with both of you. He will have your medical records ask you a few questions and then ask him anything you want. Yall will be amazed with his demeanor, confidence, and honesty. He will not give any "fluff" or "BS" as he has integrity. Dont hesitate to call his office now. Get all the information you can from everyone.
After your video chat, im sure both your husband will have a full view of all his options and make an informed decision.
If you dont have his contact info, I will list it below. Tell Kimberly Bambi sais Hey!
Wonderful!! I stumbled upon this forum community and have learned so much… literally fills my heart with so much hope!! My husband was just recently diagnosed and is a “1” on the chart, but thankfully his eco showed his heart and valves are all in good shape! I just told my husband about all this and he’s interested in learning more! We have ‘heart history’ as our son was born with a heart anomaly called Taussig-Bing (Double Outlet-Right Ventricle with a transposition of the great vessels) and was literally the first 5 day old infant in Texas to undergo 10 hour corrective surgery . It had only been performed in Boston on a handful of children and our son didn’t have time to travel that far. Our team of doctors had performed components of the surgery, but never all and never on a five day old infant. (This was before there was a pediatric heart-lung machine and so they had to use the adult version… which that alone was very risky.) I tell you this bc we appreciate doctors and surgeons willing to go the extra mile to develop and learn procedures to CURE patients. By God’s Grace our son is a healthy, 6’8”, 24 year old and the knowledge gained from his surgery hopefully aided other pediatric heart patients. I appreciate your reply and this added information so much! Blessings to you and for your continued good health! I will most definitely tell them you said hi!😉
your story of your son and your compassion makes my eyes water and while my heart beats in a Normal Rhythm, it is filled with hope for your hubby. Yall are definitely a blessed family. Sending many virtual hugs our way.
There are only 2 surgeons that do a "Wolf Mini Maze"
Dr. Wolf (the inventor of this) in Houston, Texas.... and
Dr. Toshiya Ohtsuka in Japan (Dr. Wolf trained him years ago)
Other docs are now calling what they do a Mini Maze, but it is NOT a Wolf Mini Maze and will not give you the same results simply because of what Dr Wolf does on the inside. It is not the same and does not give the same results (96% success rates).
Please check out Dr. Wolf's web for yourself as he explains what he does inside your ribs and why. This is NOT open chest, it is NOT a catheter ablation.
Its a one and done procedure, about 45 min. on each side.
Thanks Bambi65m,Yes I understand that Wolf Mini Maze as well as Cox Mini Maze are not EP qualified cardiac procedures. A trained Cardiac Thoracic surgeon, well trained in Electrophysiolgy plus thoracic minimally invasive surgery.
First I am very pleased that you are doing so wonderful so long post procedure.
I am getting a new EP consult with an Indianapolis, Indiana Ascenion Med Group St. Vincent Heart Cardiac hospital.
Saying that, is where Dr. Eric Prystowsky well known, at least to me and Mellanie, teacher and trainer of Mini Maze procedures.
Please don't take my plans and thoughts the wrong way, Bambi, there are Cardiac Thoracic surgeons, in concurrence with EP's. I've leaning on all of my resources. StopAFIB.org, HRS, and a qty of EP's I've been consulting with on another Cardiology Pacing project.
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