Ablation with Dr. Natale

Hi, this is my first post in this group. I am 44 and have been diagnosed with fib 2 years ago.
I am getting an ablation done with Dr. Natale in a couple of months in New York.
I just wanted to know other people's experiences with him.
I know he is a superb doctor. Just wanted to hear how things went.

Here is a search, you can find many stories here <[www.afibbers.org]

Today marked the end of my blanking period following an ablation by Dr. Natale in August and I haven't experienced so much as a stray PAC since the procedure. 100% sinus rhythm. I failed five ablations by three other EPs previously, so I know what to expect from ablations, and the complete stability I've experienced since his is not what I expected. Even successful ablations usually have some bumps in the road during the blanking period. Maybe a little afib, maybe a little flutter, and probably some PACs are par for the course, but not this time. Absolute silence. It's almost eery, but I'm certainly not complaining. My only complaint is with myself: why I didn't go to him first?

Carey, your words are like music to my ears. How wonderful for you. I am so happy you found him. After all the research I've done, I don't think I would trust anyone else but him. I do have a little concern that I need help with. I live in NYC. Dr. Natale performs ablation here sometimes at Montefiore hospital (where is protege dr. Di Biase works). This is where my ablation would be done. Montefiore hospital does not have the best rating which worries me and I wonder if I should fly out to Texas instead or trust Dr.Natale amazing ability at ANY hospital? what are your thoughts? And CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Welcome New Yorker,

You are certainly making an outstanding decision in our collective experience here with over 17 years of reported experience on this forum with Dr Natale out of our 19 total years of existence now (alas we lost a few years worth of Afibbers Forum posts from the earliest years when upgrading the forum platform way back then when a technical glitch deleted those early posts during transfer to the new platform, costing us at least a year or two of our very earliest discovery of the then rising star that was Dr Natale’s talent on the then fledgling ablation scene. Afibbers.org is the oldest AFIB patient advocacy and education resource on the web.

While hospital ratings are meaningful, they don’t always tell the whole story and not infrequently hospitals with modest overall track records from past ratings will have one or more centers/procedures of excellence guided by a true expert in the given field of your interest who has had the time to develop a very good staff and work flow that exceeds the general rep of the overall hospital.

This is just what Dr Luigi DiBiase has been working hard to create following the example of his mentor, Dr Natale, with whom Dr DiBiase is the longest running direct right hand protege of Dr Natale for over 10 years now!

There is no question that Dr Natale has twice created the largest most renowned AFIB ablation center in the world. First, as director of the Cleveland Clinic AFIB Center starting in his thirties, and then again creating the current worlds largest ablation research center at St Davids Medical Center in Austin even exceeding his experience at Cleveland Clinic.

As such, you can rest assured Dr DiBiase knows the steps and energy it takes to whip a new ablation center into shape, and from all reports I’ve heard they have made great strides at the Montefiore AFIB Center over the last 3 years since Dr DiBiase took over there and where Dr Natale stops in periodically to do some ablations there under his protege and to help further the training of the whole staff there.

The main issue for you too is that once in Dr Natale’s EP Lab there, or anywhere, he runs a very tight ship and you will be under 110% of his attention the entire critical hours where he is directly caring for your heart!

There is no debate that St Davids, as Dr Natale’s mothership, is the bee’s knees as a very well-oiled machine and a real cut above compared to even most experienced AFIB centers.

Some of Dr Natale’s outside hospitals he does ablations at, he obviously can’t always exert the same degree of influence and control over the whole operation as he does at St Davids as their premier physician and highest money maker by far!

I’m confident you will be very safe under Dr DiBiase or Dr Natale there at Montefiore, and if anything, might only experience some secondary issues of more clerical nature I assume.

Granted, it’s hard to beat the total experience at St Davids, but you will be getting the lions share ... and by far the most important part of it, with Dr Natale actually in charge of your ablation.

If you were to reschedule at St Davids that is possible too, but you are looking at another couple to few months added delay likely, plus the added trip costs. Either way you will certainly be in great hands during your procedure. I can not vouch for the food at Montefiore and it would be a tall order to match or exceed the renowned great hospital food at St Davids, but you are only talking one to two meals max in any event :-).

Best wishes Newyorker,

Shannon



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2017 02:12AM by Shannon.

Shannon,


I was floored by your thoughtful and detailed response. I heard a lot of wonderful things about you over the last two years of my beast fighting and your response just proves how wonderful and thoughtful you are.
I first want to say how blessed I am to even have these kind of choices. What a privilege to be cared by the best and have resources to debate whether to travel or not.
With that said, I am leaning towards staying in NYC simply so the recovery would be more peaceful. I am a nervous traveler and that can't be good for a newly ablated heart.
However...and please forgive me for even asking this (I was raised in communist Russia, where things are completely weird and jaded all the time)...how do I know 100% that it will be Dr.Natale's hands that will be doing the ablation since it is Dr. Dibiase's hospital? Like I said, I am Russian. Something like that we always worry about.
If I can just put that concern aside, I think I am ready to give Montafair a chance and write a glowing review for them shortly after.

Thank you again,
Ilona

Ilona,

As a Natale veteran also, you should have no worries whatsoever. You are on the best possible road to a lifetime of NSR. Very best wishes to you.

Hi New Yorker, I took a long time before I became comfortable with having an ablation. The several EPs I discussed ablations with fudged the answers as to who will actually be controlling the cables inside my heart. Then I discovered Dr Natale through this terrific forum. Dr Natale’s response to that question is he alone works the cables. Although he is a great teacher of what he does to other EP’s He knows that we seek him out to do the ablation. He doesn’t betray our trust. There will be another EP or two who will prep you but they will learn what he does by watching. Absolutely he is the only person doing the ablation. You probably can get other EPS to commit to doing the ablation themselves but will they have dr Natale’s experience and track record? This is a public forum with many (hundreds?) of users that have had ablations with Dr Natale and he consistently gets 5 out of 5 star ratings. I put myself in his hands and I am skeptic. I trust him and you will too. Good luck, Dennis

Hjjjjjjjjj
Hi




🅱😂bbb😂bhbbj. B

Oops! One of the grand children was playing with my phone yesterday and somehow sent our afib community the above message. He also sent an image of a grizzly bear waving hello to my contractor.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2017 11:09AM by DennisC.

You are more than welcome Newyorker,

My buddy DennisC is absolutely right! Dr Natale has had a long standing rule from the early days of his career that only he will work inside the hearts of patients who seek him out for their hearts care, often waiting months and most often having to travel long distances to put their hearts into his most talented hands.

Dr Natale deeply feels that he owes each such patient 110% of his full attention while they are in his EP-Lab for those critical few hours that are the single most important hours in an Afibbers journey through this lousy condition and that will have the biggest impact on a person's future history with the beast ... or relative lack there of for the legions of folks who follow through with completing an expert ablation process with the likes of Dr Natale.

You have already made the single best decision ... with the single most important one ... you possibly could have made of who to put in charge of such an expert ABL process, so you can relax now and just go with the flow.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2017 12:51AM by Shannon.

How do you get an appointment with Dr. Natale ? I live on the west coast, where is the nearest center to here? How do you know if you are ready to have an ablation?

Amyorca,

While Dr Natale’s home Center is St Davids Medical Center in Austin Texas where he is roughly 2.5 weeks per month, he has for over 12 years also offered ablations one week out of each month at California Pacific Mefical Center in the heart of San Francisco that sounds like it would be a good deal closer for you.

If you send me a PM with your cell number and time zone where you live I’ll try to call after this holiday week and learn more about your case and see if I can answer some of your questions about the process.

Cheers!
Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2017 10:55AM by Shannon.

I will add that I am 6+ years post-ablation with Natale at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. Davids. I learned of Natale through this website. I was extremely against any "heart surgery" but hated the anti-arrhythmic medications. So begrudgingly went to see Natale.

From my research on ablations and Natale learned they had many cardiologists there.....so I asked him if anyone else would be performing my procedure. He very kindly informed me that while others would assist......he would perform the actual ablation.

I cannot begin to express my overall satisfaction with the entire experience with Natale and St. Davids.

Should I experience any issues going forward will be "headed back to Austin"!!!!


Steve

Steve, thank you so much for "calming my heart" on the subject. My ablation will be performed in NYC instead of Austin, but to me Dr. Natale's hands is all that matters. I am the same as you...Very nervous about the ablation and will only trust him to do it. I am 44 and I know at some point I will have to do an ablation if I want a good quality of life. Stories like yours confirms that my decision is a correct one.

Hi there-- I can vouch for the care you receive at California Pacific Med Center. I had my ablation with Dr Natale there this past March as I lived in Minnesota and could stay with my brother in Oakland. The staff are wonderful and you are in good hands with Dr Natale and everyone who works with him there. They are great at all follow ups and helping with any and all questions before and after and continue to stay in touch. Best wishes.

Thank you so much for the kind words. How did it go for you? MY ablation will take place in New York City.

Yup, me too. Had my first and only ablation with Natale in May 2015. Not a problem since.

Best wishes

Hi Ilona, I am new to this forum. I saw Dr Natale in Oct 2017 in Austin. We decided to wait awhile before having another ablation. However, I have started to get fib more frequently and now have to decide when I want to have this done. I saw that some of you had it done by Natale in Montefiore Hospital in NY. Is that a possibility? that would be so much easier for me since I live alone and don't know if anyone can accompany me, so NY would be a lot easier to accomplish.

Thank you,
Vickie