Ed has a condition called Atrial Fibrillation or an irregular heart beat. The upper chambers of a normal heart beat about 60 times a minute, his beat up to 500 times. In fact my mother died of it. In an effort to help others survive, Doctor James Cox of the Ohio State Medical Center has developed a type of surgery that essentially short circuits the heart and helps it beat normally. Using nitrous oxide at 94 degrees below zero, Doctor Cox makes about 12 freeze marks in the heart tissue.
Electric circuits are what make the heart beat but too many circuit make it beat wildly.
People like Ed are coming from all over the country to have the operation. Studies now show one out of every four strokes are caused by an irregular heart beat. This site is best viewed in Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher and Netscape 4.0 and higher. The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved.