The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania has been right by her boyfriend’s side recently, as he just underwent a scary life-saving procedure.
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On July 11, Dolores Catania opened up about the heart procedure that her boyfriend Paul Connell had to undergo. The RHONJ star exclusively shared details about his health to Page Six.
“Over the past eight years Paul has suffered with an irregular heartbeat assumed to be atrial fibrillation. Recently, it was confirmed with a diagnosis of SVT or supra ventricular tachycardia,” she confessed. “He’s had many trips to the emergency room and consulted with several different cardiologists…He finally found the right specialist, a cardiac electrophysiologist, Dr. Robert Altman, who identified that he had a syndrome called WPW. Now, what’s this you might ask? It’s Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.”
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a rare defect where an extra electrical pathway appears in the heart which causes a rapid heartbeat.
The 51-year-old went on to say, “It causes a rapid heartbeat, and can be life-threatening if left undiagnosed and untreated.”
“So, if you experience palpitations or you feel like there’s something ‘off’ with your heart, please listen to your body and have yourself evaluated! After many years of my Paulie living with this, I’ve finally convinced him to take this to the next level. After working with Dr. Altman and having his procedure, his spirits are high and you can see there is a sign of relief.”
Paulie shared in an exclusive video sent to Page Six, an update on his status and the implications that arise with the syndrome.
“Please get your heart checked out. It only takes a couple of visits and a quick little procedure like today could give you a longer life to spend with this beautiful woman and your family,” he admits from the hospital bed.
The 48-year-old admitted that he was feeling a lot better this week than he was last week, and that Dolores has been right by his side through it all.
“The last eight years of my life have been poorer quality than what they should have been because I stopped doing stuff in fear that it would impact my heart. There was a lot of anxiety,” he revealed. “But Dolores pushed me to get this checked out. She took control and I was basically a passenger. Because of her, I’m really optimistic about the future.”