I found a great new website stopafib.org

[DeltaDawn23]

This is a great website, lots of articles, press releases, etc.  about the subject.

[DeltaDawn23]

I didn't mean to start an incident!  I found the site helpful and informative.  Everyone should do what is comfortable for them and, one hopes, take away some useful information from the site.  I don't believe we can have too much information.  What one does with it is up to the individual.

[mhills]

Cindy,

Dr. Sirak is just one of 19 members of our medical advisory board, and surgeons are actually in the minority. We have an interview with him on the site along with interviews with most of the members of our medical advisory board ("a complete page" for each). That includes other surgeons and lots of electrophysiologists, who talk about catheter ablation and medications. Saying that we are representing or pushing any one doctor is completely inaccurate. We are providing a place for patients to learn about all afib options, including the latest research.

I (and StopAfib.org) have nothing to do with any of Dr. Sirak's patients who might come here and talk about his procedure. (I have no idea who Angel is.) I think to say that they work for him is inaccurate as well. Those drawn to Dr. Sirak's procedure seem to become very zealous and spread the word about him. Again, I have nothing to do with it.

It sounds like you had minimally-invasive surgery as well. I'm guessing who your surgeon is, and it's probably the one who initiated totally-thoracoscopic maze (TTM). Dr. Sirak's procedure is also a TTM procedure;  his 5-box TTM procedure is a way of measuring and verifying "block". Thus, just from a logic perspective, I can't figure out why it would be more invasive than what you had.

Is your concern because your doctor is not covered on our site? He was covered originally, with a link to the OR Live video he did. But that video was pulled down several years ago and I had to remove the link and story. I have not met your doctor, but I do know a lot about him.

So, please understand that your original assertion, that we're run by a doctor trolling for patients, is completely unfounded. Please don't continue to malign me. I will reiterate that I'm simply an afib survivor looking to help others with afib because I know what it's like to live with afib.

If I weren't dedicated to this mission, I wouldn't be running around the country serving on afib think tanks with doctors, representing the afib patient perspective. Nor would I be collecting afib patient input for speaking to doctors about how they can better help us. Nor would I be leaving today to spend a week in Washington, DC meeting with legislators, and representing the afib community.

I hope you will take the time to look over our entire site and see that there is much more there than you think. Thanks.

Mellanie

[cindy707]

I am not trying to ruffle anyones feathers however it has been a bone of contention with me with one of your experts Dr. Sirak and his procedure the 5 box thorasic maze which is super invasive and a tough recovery period after the procedure.  This is a free country and everyone obviously makes their own choices and which procedures to employ on their bodies however for awhile last year there were people coming onto the site that worked for/with this same doctor "Angel" being one of them and a few others that threw red flags all over the place.  I am all for any site that helps any of US and that includes myself...however it is not a level playing field when at last count i believe four of the community members made choices to go with this doc not realizing how extreme the procedure was and i got private messages from a couple of those people who all said that they loved Dr. Sirak but the procedure turned out to be a private hell and the recovery was worse.  We are all entitle to our opinions last i heard....and Melanie when you say that stopafib covers everything i see that Dr. Sirak serves on your medical advisory board as well as that you have a complete page dedicated to he and his procedure.  The really interesting thing that i feel is that my own heart surgeon is a part of your group altho i do not know how active that he is out of northern california.  I am not against any procedure that helps any single one of us because i had some pretty extreme and intense cases happen to me .....i just feel that members should be fully aware of the differences in procedures and recovery issues that is all.  Again i apologize and do not wish to ruffle any feathers however after the upset last year with a couple of the other members and myself i am just super protective over the site.  Again i support anything that helps any one of  us just as long as there is full disclosure and the people who are encouraging others to have any procedure are those who have heart issues like 99% of us on the site do and not just individuals who work for medical facilities or specific physicians or have a relationship at any level other than being a patient or scared human being.  I did look at your site...it is very well put together Melanie.......

[ksig]

Cindy, I am surprised your have not been to this website.  It has given me so much information about AFib.  I have been able to hear lectures, read articles about the latest research and read stories of other AFib patients.  I have recommended this website to people who want to know more about AFib and what I am going through.  Recently a friend of mine was diagnosed with AFib and was frantic to find out more about her condition so I gave her this website.

I like the website so much, I have new info emailed to me so that I can go back to the site to continue to educate me on my condition.

Cindy, please take a look at www.stopafib.org  
ksig

[mhills]

DeltaDawn23,

Thanks for sharing StopAfib.org with the community.

Mellanie

[mhills]

Cindy707,

I think you are confusing StopAfib.org with another site. I am the founder of StopAfib.org and am not a doctor - I am simply a patient who has managed to stop my afib and wants to help others do the same. We don't favor any one procedure and have patient stories of both surgery and catheter ablation. We also don't have employees, and I am a volunteer. (I am also a "she", not a "he".) Obviously you are thinking of a different site. Please come take a look at our site and you'll see that we provide unbiased information about all kinds of different ways to treat afib.

Mellanie True Hills, founder, StopAfib.org

[cindy707]

I am just popping in that i don't know if i personally agree w. that website because it is manned by a doctor who serves as an advisor that i feel has patients and employees  troll on the sites for new patients.  I am all for anything that helps anyone however this is not the place to try to find new patients for a very invasive surgery he promotes....we are all entitled to our opinions DD