PLAINS TWP. -- Staff at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center near Wilkes-Barre used a heart monitor to determine that Julie had a heart arrhythmia, or an abnormal heart rhythm, caused by an extra pathway in her heart, something doctors say she probably had since birth.
In one 48-hour period, her lowest heart rate 54, the highest, 245!
“She could have had multiple, frequent episodes, which could have incapacitated her,” says Dr. Pugazhendi Vijayraman, or Dr. Vijay as he's known, is an electro-physiologist at Geisinger. He says there are many different types of arrhythmias, some more serious than others.
Luckily, he says, Julie's was treatable, either by using medication or by surgery. “Julie didn't want to take medication longterm, and we decided to do the procedure.”
“By moving a catheter inside the heart we could pinpoint where the arrhythmia was coming from.” Once identified, the extra pathway was then removed.
Dr. Vijay now describes Julie's health as excellent. No more abnormal heart rhythm, no medication, and she's not afraid to get in her car and drive anymore.