June 26, 2017
Dr. Randall K. Wolf, visiting professor at the McGovern Medical School’s department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery and developer of “Wolf Mini-Maze” – a minimally invasive surgical technique for treating Atrial Fibrillation, was recently featured in an exclusive new story, “One Heart at a Time”, published in this month’s issue of the Registered Dental Hygienists Magazine. The article presents an insight into the challenges and decisions faced by one of his patients, with a focus on the importance of awareness and implications of all treatment options as well as the importance of networking and communication.
Written from the perspective of Anne Guignon, RDH, MPH, CSP, whose husband Derek would eventually become Dr. Wolf’s patient. Derek had suffered from atrial fibrillation (AFib) for three years, which left untreated can lead to stroke or heart failure. Anne was first made aware of Dr. Wolf’s mini-maze procedure through a chance introduction at a conference in San Diego. Upon learning that there are other treatment options for patients with AFib, besides medication, Anne and her husband eventually decided to move forward with the Wolf Mini Maze Procedure at Memorial Hermann Memorial City in Houston.
Throughout the surgical experience, Anne would share Derek’s health updates on her social media time line, later prompting her online friends suffering from AFib to express interest in Dr. Wolf’s technique. As a professional in the medical field, Anne discusses the parallels between treating patients with dental issues and a patient with AFib; it is important that the patient is made aware and able to asses all treatment options. “The impact we have on lives keeps getting bigger and bigger. The whole-body health-care message needs to go to a higher level, and the message about AFib is just one example”, says Anne. You can read about the wolf mini-maze procedure here and Anne’s full article at RDHMag.com.