Damn Denis, bad day. I'll do the same.

Len,
PM me buddy. I obviously wish your family well. I just don't think you should post your brother's complete med history.

Rick has given you a lot of good info. Many things can cause decreased heart function. Things that are exposures like drugs and alcohol, infectious agents that are viral or parasitic, vitamin deficiencies, hormonal states, brain conditions too many to mention.

Some are reversible. You just don't know until it happens and diagnosis made. He may be a transplant candidate or not. There are also other therapies out there which are more experimental.

My thoughts are with you and your brother. Positive thoughts sent your way..
Christian

PM sent Peter. Thanks again guys.

Len -

Just saw all of this. Very best to you both; your brother will be in my thoughts. Wish I could do more....

Jim

Best wishes for your brother and your family. Hope it turns out well.

Len,

Hope things go well for you and your Brother. He is in our prayers.

Joe

Best wishes to your brother, Lendaddy.

My best thoughts and prayers for your brother, len.

I've got two brothers and couldn't imagine losing them (even though both work in dangerous fields). My thoughts are with you.

I sure hope for the best for your brother (and all of you family) Lendaddy, and also to your friend Speeder...thinking positive here!

Thanks again guys, I should get more info today.

Art, I was hoping you would show up...

Len, Art can fill you in much better than I can, he's a heart doc, I am a general internist. Sorta like talking Porsche to a Porsche mechanic vs. a European auto mechanic.

Thanks Rick, you have both given me great info.

Len, hang in there and hopefully they caught things in time for your brother!

Thanks again guys,

PMs sent to Art and Rick.

I just want to thank you guys again and give a brief update on my brother.

They were going to try and fix his afib problem Saturday(to hopefully ease some symptoms and allow more accurate monitoring), but they did an ultrasound on his heart and he has blood clots in there. These need to be dissolved before they can move forward.

The doctor also observed that he has severe sleep aptnia (sp?) and he feels this could be a contributing factor???

They have had him on various blood thinners and what not and are actually sending him home tonight until the clots dissolve.....then they'll bring him in and start over. I do not know if he is going to be ordered to bed-rest or what.

At this point they do not know what caused this.

Peter and Rick have been very helpful via PM and I cannot thank them enough for helping myself and my family understand what is going on. Once again the Pelicans come through, you guys are great!

folks with bad sleep apnea have to sleep hooked up to a machine that delivers oxygen to them while they sleep at night thru a hose. i know several people that have to use the machine. sounds like your brother may be a candidate for this, len.

My father actually had a severe case of it himself. He had a surgury where they removed all the extra skin, fat and goodies from the back of his throat and it cured him. This was 10+ years ago. I wonder if it's genetic?

Glad to hear he is heading home. He will likely be on coumadin for 2-4 weeks prior to cardioversion (resetting the heart as you put it). This will help protect him from a stroke from the clots being shot out of the heart once the atria (top chambers) start pumping normally again. Expect him to be on coumadin for 6 weeks or so afterwards as well since the atria are stunned and don't pump normally for a while even after the electrical pattern has been corrected. His doctors might also keep him on blood thinners long term if they think his heart might go in and out of atrial fibrillation since the stroke risk is the same for those who pop in and out as it is for those who are in it all the time. Plus, with an ejection fraction that low, he is at risk for developing clots along the walls of the ventricles (pumping chambers) due to pooling of blood.

Obstructive sleep apnea could be a contributing factor since it lowers the amount of oxygen in your blood while you sleep due to poor air flow. This causes the pulmonary (lung) arteries to constrict, raising the pressure in the lungs. This puts increased workload on the right side of the heart (the side that pumps blood to the lungs) and thus can cause or worsen heart failure.

No problem on the info, I get lots of car info from here, happy to give a little info back.