Mary Drew, Atrial Fibrillation

At age 71, Mary Drew enjoyed kayaking, traveling, walking and volunteering her time. But atrial fibrillation halted Mary Drew’s life. Mary found herself unable to live her life the way she wanted. It wasn’t until she met with Dr. Thomas Gaines, a cardiothoracic surgeon at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, that she found her life again.

Beginning in her mid-60s, Mary suffered with atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder that usually causes an irregular and fast pulse. Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, increases the risk of stroke and is a major contributor to the development of congestive heart failure as well as more serious life-threatening arrhythmias.

“I always felt good before,” a soft-spoken Mary says. “But little by little I had no energy to do things. I couldn’t do the things I used to enjoy doing.” Aside from fatigue, other symptoms of Afib can include shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain and dizziness.

As the years passed, Mary progressively felt worse. She experienced a severe decrease in energy that ceased her enjoyment of retirement and stopped her from doing things that she loved including volunteering her time, traveling and playing bridge. She was already under the care of Dr. James Cox, a cardiologist at UT Medical Center, and was being treated with medication but decided she wanted something more. Dr. Cox believed she was eligible for an advanced treatment called the Mini-Maze and referred her to Dr. Gaines.

The Mini-Maze procedure is a minimally invasive surgery that brings hope to atrial fibrillation patients for whom no reasonable cure existed. It is performed using minimally invasive devices all navigated by a miniature camera so physicians can see and operate on the heart without making large incisions in the chest. The procedure enables patients to return to normal activity more quickly after the procedure, and they note less pain than with the traditional approach. Other benefits of Mini-Maze over traditional surgery include a shorter hospital stay, fewer complications, reduced risk of infections, fewer side effects and less blood loss.

“Dr. Gaines is an expert having studied the Mini-Maze procedure with experts,” Mary explains. “I was confident in his care and abilities to help my condition. And I really didn’t want to be ‘tied’ to the medication anymore.” On Jan. 7, 2008, Mary underwent the Mini-Maze procedure performed by Dr. Gaines and was released back home after a five-day hospital stay. “I was treated very well,” she continues. “The care was wonderful, and I wouldn’t hesitate to come back to UT Medical Center.”

Mary suggests to others that they find out if they are a candidate for Mini-Maze. The minimally invasive procedure offers a faster recovery from traditional surgery and she has been able to almost eliminate medication. It took a few weeks to really start feeling herself again, but it was worth the wait because she felt better than she had in years.

“I gradually resumed my life,” she says. “I feel good. It has made such a difference to my life. I can finally commit myself to the things I enjoy.” Currently, Mary donates her time volunteering at a free clinic in Knoxville. She walks two to five miles about three to four times a week.

Her husband, Robert, is thrilled to see the difference. They love to spend time with their family including son, Larry; daughter, Carolyne; son in law, Metu; and grandson, Bobby. They also spend their time together playing bridge with friends and traveling. Most recently, Mary and Robert have traveled to Costa Rica and Key West. And do they have a favorite location? Since the procedure, Mary and Robert regularly spend time at their cottage in Northeast Vermont where Mary once again enjoys kayaking.