Getting her heart back in rhythm transformed her quality of life

In March 2024, Lynn Huether was diagnosed with heart failure and was receiving care at Aurora Medical Center – Sheboygan County. Her heartbeat had also been abnormal, a result of being diagnosed 12 years earlier with atrial fibrillation, or A-Fib. A-Fib is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to complications, such as stroke.

She also had a conduction abnormality, or disruption of the heart’s electrical impulses, called left bundle branch block. This combination led to the enlargement of her heart, resulting in leaky valves and severely reduced heart function.

After three weeks in the hospital recovering and getting her heart back in rhythm, the 70-year-old Howards Grove resident was given a cardiac LifeVest to monitor her heart rhythm at home.

Fast forward to Mother’s Day 2024, Huether’s LifeVest alerted that her heart was not in rhythm. She returned to Aurora Medical Center – Sheboygan County where she received a bi-ventricular defibrillator implant.

Dr. Mohammed Premjee, an electrophysiologist at Aurora Health Care, performed the surgery, which was among the first performed in Sheboygan County.

“If Lynn’s heart starts beating too fast or is out of rhythm, this implantable defibrillator will shock it back into normal rhythm,” says Dr. Premjee. “In addition, this special type of defibrillator helps to correct her underlying conduction abnormality. She progressed greatly in her recovery.”

Huether felt immensely better after surgery and noticed she had a lot more energy, so much so that she didn’t realize how badly she had been feeling before. As part of her recovery, Huether did weeks of cardiac rehabilitation to strengthen her heart. Now, she is feeling better than ever, and her quality of life has significantly improved. The pumping function and size of her heart both normalized, and her heart valves are no longer leaky.

“Seeing a patient’s quality of life improve so drastically is so rewarding,” Dr. Premjee shares. “A healthy heart really can make such a huge difference.”

Huether is grateful she’s able to enjoy life, be active without getting tired and enjoy time with her seven grandchildren. She now goes on long walks almost daily, which she couldn’t do before.

“I used to get tired so quickly,” Huether shares. “I have interests again, like wanting to watch a movie or read a book. I am able to do things I wasn’t able to before.”

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