Eugene's Story

“If the monitor showed I needed a pacemaker, I would have put that before finishing my harvest,” he said. “But I knew the device would keep me safe until, if and when, one was needed. Knowing what was happening inside me gave me the freedom to do what I love”

Managing the daily rhythm of heart and home

As a boy, Eugene Wentzel of Murdock gazed out his schoolroom window, across the fields, to his family farm. He longed to get home to begin chores. “Even then, I knew farming was for me. I loved the freedom, outdoors and accomplishment of a successful harvest,” Eugene said.

Years later, when Eugene began to experience near-fainting spells, he looked to the CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center for possible explanations.

Electrophysiologist Mevan Wijetunga, MD, suggested the Reveal LINQ™ Insertable Cardiac Monitoring system, a small heart monitor placed under the skin of the chest in a simple outpatient procedure. The device continuously monitors heart rhythms and sends the data automatically to the Heart Center over a secure Internet connection.

The data from the device can determine if heartbeat irregularities are related to unexplained stroke, fainting, heart palpitations or atrial fibrillation. “Patients can live their lives, while the recorder in the chest does all the work,” Dr. Wijetunga said.

Other patient benefits of the device include:

• Ability to detect heartbeat disorders even when patients don’t have symptoms
• A three-year battery life so patients can be monitored for long periods of time
• Remote monitoring so patients can observe and report symptoms from home while eliminating frequent visits to a care facility

Eugene appreciated the peace of mind provided by Reveal LINQ. “If the monitor showed I needed a pacemaker, I would have put that before finishing my harvest,” he said. “But I knew the device would keep me safe until, if and when, one was needed. Knowing what was happening inside me gave me the freedom to do what I love."

“We live in an exciting time for heart rhythm management,” Dr. Wijetunga said. “Technology now allows patients to participate in their care to a degree never seen before.”

CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center is a comprehensive heart center dedicated to the prevention, discovery and management of heart disease. It offers a full range of heart services and is one of the few sites in Minnesota with a heart research program.