CHICAGO—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin’s recent annual physical found a condition known as atrial flutter, “a common abnormal heart rhythm,” according to the Heart Rhythm Society. He had had no symptoms and maintained his regular schedule before and after discovering it. After discussing his treatment options, Durbin chose a procedure known as catheter ablation, a low-risk outpatient procedure where “the catheter emits a pulse of painless radiofrequency energy which destroys the abnormal heart tissue and corrects the irregular heartbeat,” according to the American Heart Association. The procedure was performed this morning at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Durbin will remain in Illinois for the remainder of the week.
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“I anticipate that this heart tune-up will give my classic roadster many more miles of reliable service,” said Durbin. “My Congressional colleagues who want to cut funding for medical research and take away health insurance for millions of Americans should remember that all of us are only one diagnosis away from needing the best care for ourselves and the people we love.”
