to ablate or not ? Hi everyone, I went into Afib yesterday after 9 months in NSR after my second cardioversion. After my first Cardioversion, I was 5 months in NSR. I am getting cardioverted again on Wednesday. I am 59, so I am wondering should I postpone an ablation and get cardioverted every 9 months or so, or should i do the ablation asap. Would you go to Natale for your first ablation or look for a local EP? I live in Houston so Austin is close and Natale is on my insurance, Right now I am leaning toward doing the ablation with Natale and hopefully get it over with . PS Any good ablation people in Houston ? https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196753#msg-196753 Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:55:01 +0000 Phorum 5.2.23 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,197138#msg-197138 Re: to ablate or not ? https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,197138#msg-197138
I am very grateful to have found this forum , thanks everyone]]> Willy AFIBBERS FORUM Tue, 03 Sep 2024 02:13:11 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196942#msg-196942 Re: to ablate or not ? https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196942#msg-196942
Long story......but had a Natale ablation in March 2011 after great advice from many on this site. Wanted to get a local EP cardiologist in the event I needed to see a doctor quickly. Thanks to Shannon and Natale referred to John Seger and have seen a couple of times to establish a relationship.

No issues and no medication since my ablation.


Steve
Klein, Tx]]> JAYHAWK AFIBBERS FORUM Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:57:47 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196762#msg-196762 Re: to ablate or not ? https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196762#msg-196762 DoloMiddleMo AFIBBERS FORUM Wed, 31 Jul 2024 03:51:05 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196760#msg-196760 Re: to ablate or not ? https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196760#msg-196760 frankangelo AFIBBERS FORUM Tue, 30 Jul 2024 22:06:22 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196757#msg-196757 Re: to ablate or not ? https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196757#msg-196757
There was, for me, more than just the thumping and bumping. I felt anxious, and it really began to affect my quality of life when I was finally referred to a local EP. Then, I had to endure it until I got the call to a first meeting, and then some diagnostics, and finally a date for my index. I could have hugged every nurse and orderly when I finally got my name called and taken into the ward. It was nine months.

Maybe you aren't so wound up about it. You do have long intervals, and that counts for something. I just don't know when you'll understand that the slide slope has steepened and you're accelerating toward more frequent runs of AF, like once a week. Or every other day.

Also, there is something to be said for being in a worse state and being in AF when you go into the cath lab. That state makes the work of the EP a bit easier in terms of working to stop the AF with each positioned zap of the RF emitter. It also makes more zaps necessary because there are more evolved foci or re-entrants for the spurious signal.

I don't know how much remodeling your heart has undergone since you first developed AF. If you are rarely in AF, probably not much. Those of us who were in persistent AF by the time we got the nod would have had substantial remodeling...which is not desirable for one's prognosis and for the EP's sake.

If you were to pin me down, I'd say you're probably fine for the time being. If you can stand the cardioversions every few months, that's not so bad. If you're not in AF more than 15-40 hours a year until you get the cardioverson, that's not so bad. But if/when you become more active that way, and it amounts to 50-150 hours each year, now we're talking some risk that you will have notable atrial enlargement, and with that comes the dreaded 'progression' and remodeling.

So, I think you needn't worry unduly just yet, but I would strongly advise you to have an EP's visit in your back pocket, and some assurances that you could have workups done for screening and then the actual ablation inside of maybe three months if you sense that you're beginning to lose ground. You really want to spend as little time in actual AF as possible, so you need that 'insurance policy' of a quick look-see by an EP and then a proximal date for an ablation.]]> gloaming AFIBBERS FORUM Tue, 30 Jul 2024 17:50:48 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196755#msg-196755 Re: to ablate or not ? https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196755#msg-196755
Quote
Willy
Would you go to Natale for your first ablation or look for a local EP?

I went to Natale for my index ablation, even though that meant traveling. I am glad I did! Everything went very smoothly, couldn't be better.]]> Daisy AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 29 Jul 2024 22:22:55 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196754#msg-196754 Re: to ablate or not ? https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196754#msg-196754
Quote
Willy
Any good ablation people in Houston ?

~10 years ago, I learned my best friend from childhood, who lives in Houston had persistent afib. I insisted he go to Natale. He thought I was crazy to insist. I normally would not pursue it, but he was my friend, so I pushed it hard. Turns out he had a very difficult case and required two procedures, including LAA isolation on the second. Subsequently he's been free of afib and is off all meds (there is a 60% risk of requiring lifetime anticoagulation or the placement of a device like the Watchman after LAA isolation). Now, we see each other once or twice a year as we live several states apart. Whenever we see each other, he and his wife continue to profusely thank me for being so insistent he go to Natale.]]> GeorgeN AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 29 Jul 2024 22:22:26 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196753#msg-196753 to ablate or not ? https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,196753,196753#msg-196753 I am 59, so I am wondering should I postpone an ablation and get cardioverted every 9 months or so, or should i do the ablation asap.
Would you go to Natale for your first ablation or look for a local EP? I live in Houston so Austin is close and Natale is on my insurance,

Right now I am leaning toward doing the ablation with Natale and hopefully get it over with .

PS
Any good ablation people in Houston ?]]> Willy AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 29 Jul 2024 21:57:53 +0000