Dr. Peter A. Delisle, 74, of Torrington, is a busy, award-winning educator and businessman who has always put heart health first.
“My whole family has experienced cardiovascular disease over the past 80 to 100 years,” he says. “Given my family history, heart attacks and strokes have always been a very real risk for me.”
The most striking family history on his father’s side is that his grandfather suffered a stroke that caused him to lose the ability to speak, and his own father underwent open-heart bypass surgery, which was experimental at the time, on two separate occasions.
Nine years ago, his own heart health story began.
“I experienced atrial fibrillation for the first time. My heart rate was over 200 in the emergency room,” Delisle recalls of her first heart health scare. “Since then, I have been living on medication.”
However, as the years passed, the frequency of his atrial fibrillation increased. He wasn’t weak, but the severity was getting worse.
“The EKG readings on the cardio monitor showed that my atrial fibrillation was becoming more and more frequent and bothersome.”
Delisle also noticed another big change a year and a half ago.
He began to have more chronic symptoms of atrial fibrillation. His heart became dangerously rapid and arrhythmic, and not only did it feel like his heart was racing at times, but he also felt so tired and lightheaded that he couldn’t even walk 100 feet without stopping.
“My body started to feel out of gas and I felt generally lethargic and really felt like a zombie,” he recalls.
He and his cardiologist knew it was time to do more than just manage medication for his atrial fibrillation.
Dr. Christopher Pickett, co-director of UConn Health’s Heart Rhythm Program and interim director of the Calhoun Heart Center, used advanced imaging to pinpoint where exactly his arrhythmia was coming from. The patient was advised to undergo an ablation procedure to map the heart tissue in a minimally invasive manner. Then, specific areas of heart tissue are ablated or zaped to prevent them from causing future heart rhythm problems.
In September 2023, Delisle and Pickett performed a successful ablation procedure in the electrophysiology lab at Calhoun Heart Center.
“I felt different right away, almost immediately!” Delisle exclaims. “I feel very well and my atrial fibrillation symptoms have not returned.”
Delisle is now looking forward to her next big milestone.
“I’m turning 75 this year. Dr. Pickett changed my life. I feel so much better and now I’m back to my true self. I can now travel without fear of a heart attack. Now you can.”
He also can’t say enough about his alma mater, UConn, cardiac care, and cardiologists/electrophysiologists.
“As expected of a Husky,” said Delisle, a 1971 graduate of the University of Connecticut and a distinguished military veteran. He served in the U.S. Army as a field artillery commander. He worked as a business executive for 15 years and as a faculty member at three universities for 25 years.
“Dr. Pickett is an extraordinary practitioner, the best I’ve ever had, but there’s something more and very different about him. He’s a true healer. !”
He concluded, “I cannot thank Dr. Pickett and my family enough for their incredible support.”
Delisle has been married to retired educator Janice Brehm Delisle for more than 50 years and they have twin daughters, Amy and Meg.
This February, Heart Month, Pickett and UConn Health’s Calhoun Heart Center can’t stress enough the importance of an annual primary care checkup for everyone, young or old.
“Your doctor may notice a difference in your heartbeat at some point, rather than beating like a clock,” says Pickett. “Knowing that you may have an arrhythmia is critical to managing your cardiovascular health.”
For example, atrial fibrillation can be asymptomatic or cause more advanced symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, and lack of energy.
“Thankfully, Pete has successfully managed his symptoms of atrial fibrillation for many years and has been able to use blood thinners to reduce the risk of blood clots forming in the heart and traveling to the brain, causing a stroke. We did it,” Pickett said. .
Mr Pickett added: “But when Pete’s atrial fibrillation symptoms worsened severely, we decided to undergo an intervention called ablation to help calm and eliminate the electrical impulses causing his heart’s arrhythmia.” I knew that treatment was the next step,” he added.
Dr. Pickett emphasizes that even with ablation, one of the most advanced cardiac surgeries, interventions for atrial fibrillation require patients to follow the basics of a heart-healthy lifestyle. That means a healthy daily diet that includes minimal alcohol and salt intake, daily exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight as well as managing other conditions such as high blood pressure and sleep apnea. .
