It Started with a Smartwatch Alert: Mr. Devi’s Journey with Arrhythmia

Mr. Devi from Semarang did not feel any symptoms at all. The first warning came from the smartwatch he wore every day. Those alerts led him to a diagnosis of a heart rhythm disorder, and then to an ablation procedure at Heartology.

A Warning from the Wrist

In the three months before his diagnosis, Mr. Devi's smartwatch alerted him more and more often about an irregular heart rhythm. Yet he felt perfectly fine. “Atrial fibrillation is something you don't feel in your body,” he says.

He then had a complete set of laboratory tests and an electrocardiogram (ECG), a recording of the heart's electrical activity, while he was being treated in hospital. The results showed atrial fibrillation (AF), a heart rhythm disorder that makes the upper chambers of the heart beat fast and irregularly. AF can increase the risk of stroke or heart failure, so it needs to be managed by a doctor.

Undergoing 3D Ablation

On a doctor's referral, Mr. Devi came to Heartology and was treated by dr. Sunu Budhi Raharjo, Sp.JP (K), Ph.D. He underwent 3D ablation, a cardiac ablation guided by three-dimensional mapping. Using a catheter, a thin tube inserted through a blood vessel, the doctor deactivates the electrical spots or pathways in the heart that trigger the rhythm disorder. Mr. Devi likened the source of the problem to a parasite living inside his heart.

Before the procedure, he was worried. But his experience turned out differently from what he had imagined. “Ablation is actually not scary,” he says. The procedure lasted into the night. Mr. Devi had the ablation on a Saturday, and by Monday afternoon he was already back in Semarang.

During his time at Heartology, he appreciated the facilities, the friendly service, and how attentive and easy to reach the medical team was, including for check-ups after the procedure.

After the Procedure

When the video was recorded, Mr. Devi felt that he no longer tired easily. His watch had also stopped sending alerts. “My watch never beeps anymore, it never gives me notifications anymore,” he says. Even so, he still needs to attend follow-up check-ups after the procedure.

This experience made him want to encourage others to care more about their health and have regular check-ups, even without symptoms. He also hopes people will not be quick to fear the words procedure or surgery.

If a device you wear often alerts you to an irregular heart rhythm, take it as a reason to see a cardiologist. Devices like these are not diagnostic tools, but they can serve as an early reminder.