Juhani Seppänen

Juhani Seppänen's life has been anything but ordinary. Born in 1939 in an area of Finland that was invaded twice during World War II, he vividly remembers spending nights with his mother in their small cellar, while aircraft bombed the village. His father was away, serving time on the military front, and on two occasions, the family was forced to evacuate their home.

Juhani overcame this difficult childhood and went on to a successful career in information technology, working for the Finnish Army, Helsinki's telephone company, and a large private brewery. As an IT specialist for almost 40 years, Juhani witnessed the dramatic evolution in computer technology, pursuing a career that brought him great satisfaction and purpose.

In 1995, Juhani began experiencing serious chest pains almost every day. His energy level flagged and simple activities seemed overwhelming. Juhani's doctors determined he was suffering from atrial flutter, a cardiac arrhythmia originating in the heart's upper chambers. Over the next six years, doctors tried numerous medications to alleviate Juhani's condition, but nothing seemed to help.

Discouraged, Juhani finally sought treatment in August 2001, with Olli Anttonen, MD, a leading electrophysiologist in Lahti, Finland. Using St. Jude Medical's specialty Livewire™ ablation catheters, Dr. Anttonen successfully eliminated the abnormal electrical pathway in Juhani's heart, effectively curing his atrial flutter.

Only one day after Juhani's procedure, he felt fully recovered. He has been symptom-free ever since. Now retired, but more active than ever, Juhani is an avid bowler and participates in many of Finland's ski marathons. Working at championship ski events has given him the opportunity to meet some of the world's best skiers. The connections he treasures most are with his wife, their son, and two young granddaughters, the best reasons for appreciating his renewed health and vitality.