TIMING
IS EVERYTHING
WHEN IT COMES TO CORRECTING HEART RHYTHM DISORDERS, SPECIALISTS AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF NEW SURGICAL TECHNIQUES BY K.S. MEYER Everyone has heard the stories: The promising young Navy recruit who can’t join up because of some less-than-optimal EKG readings. The healthy grandmother who collapses while pouring her morning coffee. The experienced marathoner who falls dead 10 miles into a race. Heart rhythm disorders, or arrhythmias, are far more common than many people realize, affecting more than 14 million Americans. They
34
can either be present at birth or occur for no apparent reason. Unlike most other heart disease, they often are unrelated to a patient’s lifestyle, although age, smoking, and other factors, such as use of caffeine or other stimulants, can increase the risk of harm from an arrhythmia. While most arrhythmias are as easy for a skilled physician with a stethoscope to diagnose as a speech impediment is to the common ear,
ADVANCES
034_HEART_TGH.indd 34
5/9/22 2:18 PM
