Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute
Patient Stories
When Polly was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation her early sixties, she was shocked. "I was pretty healthy; at least I thought I was. I used to be a runner and was still physically active. My family, my job, and my life kept me busy and happy. I was very surprised when a physical exam showed I had a heart condition."
Over the next few years, Polly's doctors kept her on medication. Her heart problem, which previously revealed few symptoms, became worse. At one point, she was treated for extremely low blood pressure with a pulse of 23. By the time she turned 65, she felt like her life revolved around her heart condition and all the medication she took for it.
Turning 65 also qualified Polly for Medicare. She now had to find different doctors who accepted her new insurance. Her primary care doctor recommended Dr. Mark Winchester, cardiologist with Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute, as a heart specialist. "I wish I had found him earlier," Polly says. "He was wonderful. He helped me find the medications that gave me the least amount side effects by prescribing different ones and evaluating them with me."
A few years later, her heart condition worsened. Polly was referred to Dr. James Longoria, cardiovascular surgeon with Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute, to surgically correct her atrial fibrillation. "He was incredibly kind and helpful," said Polly about Dr. Longoria. "He explained everything to me in terms I could understand. I shared with him my fears about surgery – which came from some bad experiences in my past. Dr. Longoria made notes about everything I said and assured me that it would be OK."
He was right. Polly underwent the Totally Thoracoscopic Maze Procedure (TT Maze) and her surgery at Sutter Medical Center went very well. "Dr. Longoria has this unusual approach to treating atrial fib," Polly said. "He just makes a series of little incisions, no big cuts. He's one of the only people who does it that way. I'm so lucky I was referred to him."
Polly was in the hospital for only a few days. "I can't say enough nice things about Dr. Longoria's staff. He obviously surrounded himself with the best of the best. That's not a surprise considering he's the best heart surgeon, in my opinion."
A year after her surgery, Polly is doing well. "My husband and I retired up in the mountains. We spend a lot of time outdoors. I'm enjoying his hobby of fishing; and he's enjoying my hobby of antiquing. And even though I'm officially retired, I still do contract work as a paralegal. I'm busy, but I like it that way."
Polly credits Dr. Longoria with her quality of life. "Before the surgery, I was so tired and so winded. Dr. Longoria is a jewel. He gave me my life back."