Results of MHI Evaluation

[BlueDevil]

Well, the process begun at the Minneapolis Heart Institute in late February came to a tentative conclusion yesterday: I had a stress echo performed and an evaluation presented to me.

First of all, I don't know if any of you have seen the new digs for the MHI. They're quite posh! There is a large, comfortable waiting area with Internet access and house phones. The staff admits there are still some bugs in terms of checking in patients (and that's true), but the place has been open for only six weeks. Dr. Maron has a new nurse, Connie (I forget her last name), and she is truly fab. I really enjoyed meeting her.

As far as the HCM goes, I am not obstructed. I figured this was the case going in, but given some of the contradictory information I've received over the years, it was good to have this finally confirmed. I did not get any of the "numbers" because, as will be demonstrated, my thoughts were elsewhere.

I am responding well to the amiodarone. Blood tests all came out normal, but I will, of course, continue to be monitored. I will also have pulmonary and vision tests in the near future. Overall I feel fine with the amio.

Now comes the fun part.

Dr. Maron said that the MHI has only been using MRI on HCM patients for a couple years. My MRI revealed significant areas of the ventricles that were non-reactive. It could be contributing to the AF or not; he couldn't hazard a guess. I am going back in six months for another MRI to, I imagine, see if there is any change. He wants to explore the possibility of installing an implantable ECG (http://www.medtronic.com/reveal/health.html) for a period of time to track my heart activity on a more intensive and regular basis.

I admit I am not quite sure what connection this has with the MRI findings; I think my partner and I were stuck on that and we didn't have the presence of mind to ask more questions. This is probably for the best, as I would probably obsess over this. I'm sure all will be made clearer when I go back in six months.

So, that's that. I was told back in November '03 that I was "medically interesting," so I guess it might be true.

-- T.

[Reenie]

I'm glad you had a good visit. I hope that in 6 months you have more answers.

Reenie

[Jall]

I agree with the comment on the check in at MHI. I was there in Feb. for a second opinion with Dr. Maron and the lady at the desk on check in told me he was not in town that day, but she would ask around or find another doctor. I almost had an MI in the waiting room after traveling half way across the country to get there. As it turns out, Dr. Maron was in fact around and once I got past the check in clerk, the expierence was A plus.

I am curious about your MRI experience as Dr. Maron recommended that if I ever go back. Did they use the radiopathic dye? What was the approximate cost? What would an MRI show that an EBT scan not show?

jall

[BlueDevil]

Hi Jall:

You were there before they moved, then. I think part of the problem with the current setup is they have two separate check-ins: one for clinic (i.e., routine) appointments and one for test appointments. This isn't made very clear, though, and there needs to be a better way for people to queue up. Once you're checked in, you are given a pager (just like at Outback Steakhouse). When it goes off, you go back to registration and wait for someone to take you to the examination rooms or where you need to be. It's a clunky system overall.

Also, some of the signage around the hospital and in the garages has not yet been changed, so unless you know exactly where you're going, you'll get lost.

If I'm not mistaken, Maron's operation is separate from the MHI, so there might be some disconnect. That might be why you experienced what you did.

I was administered a contrast, something I didn't know was part of the game until they brought out the needle. What is an EBT scan? I admit that I am not sure what Maron was looking for with regard to the MRI. Like I said above, this is something relatively new in his work.

The cost of the MRI was about $4K.

Hope this helps,

-- Tim

[Jall]

An EBT is a type of CT scan. There is some competition amoungst the manufacturers of CT scanners and MRIs to capture the cardiology market. The key is to snap the picture quickly because the heart is, hopefully, always in motion. To minimize movement, they usually have you hold your breath. When I had an EBT done last October, I was told to hold my breath for 45 seconds. There is now a CT scanner on the market where you only need to hold your breath for 20 seconds. I don't know what the MRI technology at MHI is like (other than sounding expensive).

[jmurray]

Tim,

Sounds like you had a good visit with some direction. Keep us updated on what you find out next.

Best wishes,

John