RUNNING BACK NO LONGER FEARFUL OF GIVING HIS ALL : CUTTING-EDGE SURGERY GETS SAUGUS PLAYER'S FAST HEARTBEAT UNDER CONTROL.Byline: Bryan Winchell Special to the Daily News Mark Pecaro used to hear a little voice in his head every time he played football, warning him that he couldn't last the game. ``It's going to happen and you're not going to be able to play and help the team,'' the Saugus High School Saugus High School may refer to:
No longer. For four years, Pecaro, a running back/linebacker, suffered from Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome Definition Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is an abnormality in the electrical functioning of the heart which may cause rapid heart rates. The abnormality affects the electrical signal between the atria and ventricles. , a rare heart condition that sometimes causes unusually fast heartbeats. The adrenaline adrenaline (ədrĕn`əlĭn, –lēn): see epinephrine. that flowed when he played would sometimes trigger the condition, causing his heart to beat as fast as 250 times per minute. He would have to come to the sidelines Sidelines Hypothetical position referring to noninvolvement in a stock; merely watching. for as long as a quarter to put ice down his back and employ other techniques to slow the heart. ``It was always in the back of my mind my sophomore year because it happened a lot as a freshman,'' Pecaro said. ``But I wasn't ever scared because I knew what to do.'' Last February, the voice was silenced after Pecaro underwent a new surgery called catheter ablation Catheter Ablation Definition Catheter ablation of an irregular heartbeat involves having a tube (a catheter) inserted into the heart through which electrical energy is sent to either reset the heartbeat or stop the heart from beating so a mechanical . The procedure, which lasted six hours, uses an X-ray-like video to monitor the electric impulses in the heart to find an abnormal bypass track that causes the speedy heart rhythms Noun 1. heart rhythm - the rhythm of a beating heart cardiac rhythm regular recurrence, rhythm - recurring at regular intervals atrioventricular nodal rhythm, nodal rhythm - the normal cardiac rhythm when the heart is controlled by the . A catheter catheter /cath·e·ter/ (kath´e-ter) 1. a tubular, flexible surgical instrument that is inserted into a cavity of the body to withdraw or introduce fluid. 2. urethral c. then delivers an electric burn that destroys the track without affecting the heart. ``The only pain I had was in my groin where they stuck one of the catheters,'' said Pecaro, who missed three days of school to have the surgery. The operation did include some risks, such as infection and paralysis paralysis or palsy (pôl`zē), complete loss or impairment of the ability to use voluntary muscles, usually as the result of a disorder of the nervous system. , but Pecaro feels it was worth it. ``It's such a relief now,'' Pecaro said. ``I can play a full four quarters and not have to worry about it. I'm just so happy I did it.'' So is coach Jack Bowman. Before last week's game with Burbank, Pecaro had played more minutes than anyone on the team. He suffered a strain to the top of his foot in the Burbank game Friday, causing him to miss the game's final three quarters after carrying only four times for 10 yards. But he is expected back for this week's game against Canyon, which is a big boost for the offense. So far, Pecaro has rushed for 630 yards on 148 carries and leads the team with 10 touchdowns. Whenever Saugus is inside its opponents' 10-yard line, look for the ball to go to the bruising bruising discoloration and actual hemorrhage at the site of injury, and a serious disadvantage in the meat trade. In the first 12 hours after injury the bruise is bright red, at 24 hours it is dark red, at 24 to 36 hours it loses its firm consistency and becomes watery and at 3 or Pecaro, who pounds it inside behind his huge offensive line. ``He's a power runner with real good vision and cutback cut·back n. 1. A decrease; a curtailment: "The political effects of food cutbacks could be devastating" New York Times. 2. ability,'' Bowman said of Pecaro, who was a first-team All-Foothill League selection last year. ``He's very strong and physical and he likes to run hard.'' Pecaro hopes to continue running hard for the team's final three games, which will conclude with the big rivalry at Hart. ``We want to close the league with all wins,'' he said. ``We're getting a lot more disciplined. We really know we need to take care of Canyon, we want to show Valencia what varsity football is all about and we just need to put it all together to beat Hart.'' For Pecaro, though, the winning isn't nearly as important as the fact that he is able to play without the constant worry of having to head to the sidelines to calm down his heart. ``I just thank the Lord a lot that he's kept me healthy and he's watching over our team,'' Pecaro said. ``Hopefully that will keep going.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Mark Pecaro Rare heart condition cured |
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