I have lone atrial fibrillation ( no known cause). I am age 34 now and have had it since I was 28.?

I have lone atrial fibrillation ( no known cause). I am age 34 now and have had it since I was 28.?
Now I discover through my new cardiologist that obstuctive sleep apnea is a cause of many heart ailments, including atrial fibrillation. I am about to undergo a sleep study on Wed. to see if I have it. My question is, since none of the other multitude of doctors have picked up on this potential " cure" for atrial fibrillation ( curing the sleep apnea), will I have due cause for a malpractice lawsuit against them?

Thanks. In my opinion, not lookinkg at this is akin to not giving someone antibiotics for TB. They'll live for a long time; in constant stress about their situation, until a doctor discovers all he needs is to take antibiotics. I think it is safe to say that if with treatment for apnea my afib goes away, then it was the cause. And you are right, the links may not be able to be made from the original doctors, but I have still been seeing the original doctor, and he has never brought up the possibility. (I was in grad school and lived in three states, so I am not a hypocondriac, just my situation caused me to change doctors.) It caused me needless suffering, and when a new doctor comes straight in and say " Let's do a sleep study on you; if you have sleep apnea, we may be able to get rid of the afib) it hurts and it was negligent on the former cardiologist to not test for it.

There are a couple problems:

1. Even if sleep apnea is diagnosed, there's no way to know for certain if it caused your afib. Some afib has no known cause, something you are simply predisposed for.

2. If sleep apnea were discovered years ago, it would not necessarily have been a cure for afib, given you already had afib.

3. Information about the effects of sleep apnea have been rapidly evolving over the last several years. I am not certain but six years ago we may not have even recognized the involvement of sleep apnea as a potential causitive factor in afib.

4. In order to sue, you need to have a damage and you need to link the action or inaction on the part of medical provider to that damage.

Good luck.

All due respect, you should get on with your life. Even if your sleep apnea is treated, your afib will almost certainly not go away. Why not sue your parents for bad genes or yourself for being overweight? The horse was out of the barn when you presented with afib. Report It

No. What caused the sleep apnea? Maybe you could sue for that too. Just kidding.