Patient Stories

His arrhythmia fixed, the beat goes on...

At the young age of 25, Brian Perez is living life with a pacemaker. “Honestly, I forget that I have it,” Mr. Perez said. “I live my life normally.”

Mr. Perez is young and active and is an avid runner and cyclist. As a personnel recruiter for Norwegian Cruise Lines, he travels all over the world and lives life to the fullest.

Mr. Perez was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome (WPW), a condition characterized by an extra electrical pathway between the heart’s upper and lower chamber, causing an arrhythmia or disruption of the heart's normal rhythm.

He recalls the events that led to the diagnosis. “I woke up from a nap, walked to my bathroom and simply passed out on the floor,” explained Mr. Perez. “When I told a few co-workers about the incident, they urged me to go to the Baptist Outpatient Center in Doral. The physicians at the center ran a few tests and thought it could be Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome. They recommended that I see Dr. Gonzalez for diagnosis and treatment.”

Efrain Gonzalez, M.D., a Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute electrophysiologist, determined that Mr. Perez did have Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome and treated him with the most common procedure used to interrupt the abnormal frequency in his heart, called radiofrequency or catheter ablation. During this procedure, a flexible tube called a catheter is guided to the extra pathway in the heart and high-frequency electrical energy is delivered to “disconnect” the pathway. 

“Before the procedure, Dr. Gonzalez warned me that that in the worst case scenario, he would have to put in a pacemaker if the abnormal pathway was in a difficult spot,” explained Mr. Perez. “This turned out to be the case with me.”

Mr. Perez reports that he was quickly back to doing everything that he loved and enjoyed. “I run five miles everyday and continue traveling,” he said. “I feel that this has changed my perspective on life. I could have died on my bathroom floor. Now, I want to take ‘the flight around Everest’ when I visit there. Life is too short, so I want to enjoy everything I can.”

Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute offers a comprehensive approach to preventing, diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease. Thanks to the experienced physicians, highly trained staff and advanced technology at the Institute, Mr. Perez’s heart now keeps pace with his active and adventurous lifestyle.

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