With New Heart Device, Fox Anchor John Roberts, 67, Returns To Work– Urges ‘Never Be Afraid To Ask Questions’
By Danielle Cinone,
18 days agoUnderstanding Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation(PAF)
- Fox News’ John Roberts recently underwent an FDA-approved ablation treatment for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation(PAF), a type of irregular heartbeat that occurs sporadically. Since the procedure, he’s not back at work and is urging others to be proactive regarding their health.
- According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. The type of atrial fibrillation that you have depends on how often atrial fibrillation occurs and how it responds to treatment.”
- As for Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the NIH describes it as, “You may experience a brief event — a paroxysm — of atrial fibrillation. It may pass without symptoms, or you may feel it strongly. The event usually stops in less than 24 hours but may last up to a week. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation can happen more than once. You may need treatment, or your symptoms may go away on their own.”
- Roberts’ doctor used the Farapulse system, known as the FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation System, which is, according to a Boston Scientific press release, “indicated for the isolation of pulmonary veins in the treatment of drug-refractory, recurrent, symptomatic, paroxysmal (i.e., intermittent) atrial fibrillation (AF) and is a unique new alternative to standard-of-care thermal ablation treatment.”
- When it comes to your health, be a little pushy. You know your body better than anyone else. When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to make sure that your question is fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work.
John Roberts' On Advocating For Your Own Health
Roberts' recent warning to fans about being their own advocate wasn't the first time the journalist urged others to be proactive about their health. He previously told SurvivorNet, "You've got to keep pushing and pushing and pushing. You have to be your own best advocate when it comes to getting good medical care." Back in 2018, Roberts discovered he had an artery that was 90% blocked, meaning he needed a stent, an expandable metal mesh tube inserted in an artery to keep the pathway opened. Later on, after passing out at home and feeling faint while driving his daughter somewhere, he sought help from his cardiologist and learned his stent needed to be repositioned. He ultimately had a pacemaker installed to steady his irregular heartbeat. Fox News’ John Roberts Reflects On the Scary Health Incident That Changed His Life: ‘I Knew Something Was Wrong!’Expert Advice For Advocating For Your Own Health
- Getting a Second Opinion at the VA
- ‘Early Detection Can Be the Key’: National Guard Vet & Prostate Cancer Survivor Urges Others to Get Screened
- “You Are Your Own Best Advocate” – Recognizing the Subtle Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer
- Portrait of Strength & Courage: Amy Armstrong Has A Remarkable Story About The Importance Of Being Proactive About Your Health
Understanding Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF)
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, "Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. The type of atrial fibrillation that you have depends on how often atrial fibrillation occurs and how it responds to treatment." In the case of Roberts, he has Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, which the NIH describes as, "You may experience a brief event — a paroxysm — of atrial fibrillation. It may pass without symptoms, or you may feel it strongly. The event usually stops in less than 24 hours but may last up to a week. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation can happen more than once. You may need treatment, or your symptoms may go away on their own. "When this kind of atrial fibrillation occurs and it alternates with a heartbeat that is slower than normal, it is called tachy-brady syndrome." Meanwhile, persistent atrial fibrillation "occurs when the abnormal heart rhythm you experience lasts for more than a week." This is something that may normalize on it's own, however, treatment may be needed to regulate the heartbeat, according to the institute. It's important to understand that atrial fibrillation can increase a person's risk for heart failure, a condition that causes the heart to not pump blood as well as it should. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has actually "failed" or stopped beating; it's just that it is having some issues pumping blood. As a result, fluid backs up in the body, and the organs in the body do not get as much blood as they need. RELATED: NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 75, Who Battled Cancer Twice, Reveals Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis, Insists ‘It’s Absolutely Necessary’ To Get Checked The heart is the muscle at the center of your circulation system, pumping blood around your body as your heart beats. This blood sends oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your body, and carries away unwanted carbon dioxide and waste products. When chronic heart failure lasts for a long period of time (typically, more than six months), it can impact organs like the kidneys, liver, and lungs. As for the treatment Roberts underwent, a journal published in the National Library of Medicine on Pulsed Field Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation explains in it's abstract, "Catheter ablation is a widely used, effective and safe treatment for AF. Pulsed field ablation (PFA), as a novel energy source for cardiac ablation, has been shown to be tissue selective and is expected to decrease damage to non-cardiac tissue while providing high efficacy in pulmonary vein isolation. "The FARAPULSE ablation system (Boston Scientific) follows the idea of single-shot ablation and is the first device approved for clinical use in Europe. Since its approval, multiple high-volume centres have performed increasing numbers of PFA procedures in patients with AF and have published their experiences. This review summarises the current clinical experience regarding the use of PFA for AF using the FARAPULSE system. It provides an overview of its efficacy and safety."Leading Experts Urge Us to Be Proactive
“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care,” National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery Steven Rosenberg told us in a previous interview, “because finding a doctor who is up to the latest of information is important.” RELATED: Second (& Third) Opinions Matter When Deciding Between Surgery or Radiation As we highlight in several areas of SurvivorNet, highly respected doctors sometimes disagree on the right course of treatment, and advances in genetics and immunotherapy are creating new options. Also, in some instances the specific course of treatment is not clear cut. That’s even more reason why understanding the potential approaches to your disease is crucial. RELATED: Burned Out Doctors Make More Mistakes: It’s OK To Talk Openly About This With Them At the National Cancer Institute, there is a patient referral service that will “guide patients to the right group depending on their disease state so that they can gain access to these new experimental treatments,” Rosenberg says. Cancer Research Legend Urges Patients to Get Multiple Opinions Furthermore, getting another opinion may also help you avoid doctor biases. For example, some surgeons own radiation treatment centers. "So there may be a conflict of interest if you present to a surgeon that is recommending radiation because there is some ownership of that type of facility," Dr. Jim Hu, director of robotic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet. RELATED: Mental Health & Cancer: A Third of Patients Aren’t Getting the Help They Need Other reasons to get a second opinion include:- To see a doctor who has more experience treating your type of cancer
- You have a rare type of cancer
- There are several ways to treat your cancer
- You feel like your doctor isn’t listening to you, or isn’t giving you good advice
- You have trouble understanding your doctor
- You don’t like the treatment your doctor is recommending, or you’re worried about its possible side effects
- Your insurance company wants you to get another medical opinion
- Your cancer isn’t improving on your current treatment
Pushing For A Correct Diagnosis
When it comes to your health, be a little pushy. You know your body better than anyone else. When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to make sure that your question is fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work. As a patient, if you don’t feel like each of these four things has been accomplished, just ask! Even if it requires multiple visits or seeing additional providers for a second opinion, always be your own advocate. When it comes to your health, be a little pushy. You know your body better than anyone else. When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to make sure that your question is fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work. Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate, Don’t Settle Dr. Murrell says not every patient will “fit into” the mold, so it’s important to “educate yourself and be your own health care advocate.” “Every appointment you leave as a patient, there should be a plan for what the doc is going to do for you, and if that doesn’t work, what the next plan is,” Dr. Murrell said. “And I think that that’s totally fair. And me as a health professional – that’s what I do for all of my patients." “Always Get a Second Opinion” – San Diego Resident Lynn Brooks’ Survivor StoryQuestions for Your Doctor
If you find yourself considering seeking a second or third medical opinion, here are some questions to kickstart the conversation with your doctor:- Is there any other testing available for the type of cancer I have?
- Are there any other treatment options available for my type of cancer?
- Why or why do you not recommend those other options?
- I would like to seek a second opinion on my diagnosis and treatment options. Is there another doctor or facility you recommend?
- Do you want the second opinion to be sent to you?
- Can I have a copy of all my records that I can share with this second physician?
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