Jonathan Estes

At age nine, Jonathan Estes first felt a strange sensation in his heart. His mother, Ilene Matthews, took her son to a pediatric cardiologist, but after several tests they found nothing wrong.

As Jonathan grew into an active teenager, he excelled at football, baseball, and academics. Skiing and snowboarding became favorite hobbies and he frequently headed to the slopes near his home in West Virginia USA. But his vigorous activities were accompanied by more frequent bouts of tachyarrhythmia, the too-rapid beating of his heart.

"I noticed he stopped telling me every time he had an episode," says Ilene. "I think he didn't want to worry me."

Finally, in the fall of 1999, Jonathan confessed to his mother that the episodes were causing pain. "Before it didn't bother me that much," says Jonathan. "But then it got to a point where my heart started hurting me." Jonathan could no longer participate in any of the sports he loved.

Jonathan was referred to a cardiologist at King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Kentucky USA. John Van Deren, MD ran numerous tests and arrived at a diagnosis: Jonathan suffered from Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome, a congenital heart defect, which is one of the most common causes of rapid heartbeat in infants and children.

Relieved to finally have answers, Jonathan and his mother learned that patients with WPW have an extra electrical pathway between the atria (heart's upper chambers) and ventricles (heart's lower chambers), which may cause a rapid heartbeat. Learn more about your Heart & Blood Flow.

Dr. Van Deren quickly scheduled an electrophysiology (EP) study to determine which part of Jonathan's heart was creating the abnormal rhythms.

Using a St. Jude Medical RAMP™ fast-cath guiding introducer, Dr. Van Deren threaded a catheter through Jonathan's leg and steered it to his heart with the help of x-ray imaging. The catheters were connected to a computer, enabling Dr. Van Deren to map out the area causing the arrhythmias.

Next, Dr. Van Deren used a St. Jude Medical Livewire TC™ ablation catheter to deliver electrical energy to the tip of the catheter, converting it into heat which destroyed the accessory pathway in Jonathan's heart. This procedure, called radiofrequency ablation, can cure tachycardia, although in Jonathan's case another procedure was needed to destroy three additional pathways that were subsequently found.

Since the second procedure, Jonathan has not experienced any additional episodes. He recovered quickly and resumed his active life, including a return to his favorite activity—football. Jonathan graduated from high school in May 2000 and is following in the footsteps of his mentor, Dr. Van Deren, as he is enrolled in pre-medicine. Jonathan dreams of becoming a cardiologist.

"After all these years, it's a great relief to see Jonathan enjoying life and not worrying about his heart," says Ilene. "I am grateful that we met Dr. Van Deren and that the technology was available to cure Jonathan and allow him to lead a normal life."

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