South Florida

Hi All,
looking for any feed back on EP's in south florida ; Has anybody had any experience's with Dr. Daniel Weitz Dr. Bibawy and or Dr. Kenigsberg should i only want pulse field ablation ? i have had 8 afib's in six months longest one 30 hours



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2025 04:33PM by IDDOTEN.

Having had two RF ablations, I would not be averse to having a third (my second one worked....so far...32 months). So, while I can understand your preference for PFA, and I would rather now as well, I wouldn't pass up an opportunity for at least one RF ablation in the right hands...which is really what you're attempting to do. I can't help to point you to a really good EP, sorry, but if they're still doing RF, one shot at that skill is not something I'd dismiss out of hand.

Do i need to question what mapping equipment they use? and if PFA is used what if the afib is beyond the Pulmonary Veins

If Pulsefield is used what if the afib is beyond the Pulmonary Veins

PFA can be used elsewhere in the atria but some locations require RF. It's likely that in a PFA ablation that at least some RF will be used.

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IDDOTEN
Do i need to question what mapping equipment they use? and if PFA is used what if the afib is beyond the Pulmonary Veins

My advice is to pick the very best EP you can based on their skill and know that if you've done so, a top EP will pick what they think is the best equipment/technology.

Other than what the EP tells us where can we find information on their success rate

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IDDOTEN
Other than what the EP tells us where can we find information on their success rate

Carey's post here is informative: [www.afibbers.org]

So thats the short of it ? If it's not Dr Natale we simply dont know if the doctor has the training and experience to compete

Well, you can simply ask the EP or his staff. How many afib ablations in his career, how many per year? Unlikely they'll have exact numbers but they should be able to ball park it for you. The answer you want to hear is thousands, not hundreds. Also consider the facility where it will be done. It should be a large medical center, not some community hospital.

you mentioned PF used in PVI and RF would be used outside the PVI I did ask 1 of three EP's i am meeting with so far he said no he only use's PF would that be reason in your book to scratch him off the list? thank you for your input

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IDDOTEN
So thats the short of it ? If it's not Dr Natale we simply dont know if the doctor has the training and experience to compete

I would spell that 'complete'....with the 'l'. Across the specialty, the success rate is about 75% for first, or 'index', ablations. There is variance, especially amongst individual cases and their caregivers/specialists. Second attempts run closer to 85% as an industry average, again with that substantial variance for individual cases.

There must be close to 1500 practicing EPs in America, just as a wild guess. They are all capable, but they don't all do complex cases. It is those who care capable, and experienced, in complex cases involving extensive ablation surfaces (six of them in the left atrium). If you think you'd like to quiz the prospective EP, ask them about their experience in performing ablations on complex cases. If they convince you that they're up to snuff, then a simple PVI, which is almost certain to be your first exposure, should be a cakewalk.

PFA was approved for more than just a PVI about 15 months ago already. They have new implements to do the coronary sinus, LAA, etc.

Maybe a good open-ended question for your EP candidate is, 'How would you approach my case as a new patient when it comes to your process in the cath lab?' You don't need a 30 minute dissertation, just a couple of minutes of how he/she would make the assessment of what to do, and then what techniques would she/he attempt on your behalf?'

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IDDOTEN
you mentioned PF used in PVI and RF would be used outside the PVI I did ask 1 of three EP's i am meeting with so far he said no he only use's PF would that be reason in your book to scratch him off the list? thank you for your input

That's not quite what I said. I said PF can be used in many places but it can't be used in a few critical locations that are close to arteries because PF can induce arterial spasms. The question I would make sure I got answered would be: Does he do only a PVI or does he search for and ablate non-PV sources? If he only does a PVI, walk away because that likely indicates a low level of training and/or experience.

thank you great information.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/07/2025 08:02PM by IDDOTEN.

I would like to put it out there again any experiences with a South Florida EP ?

Use to be a guy named: Sergio Penski (I think thats correct)

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Poppino
Use to be a guy named: Sergio Penski (I think thats correct)

Ah! Good find! He's at Cleveland Clinic Weston. I thought he was still in SC.

https://health.usnews.com/doctors/sergio-pinski-888677

I suggested my cousin go to Pinski around 2009. Pinski trained under Natale at CC, and did a great job on my cousin. However, I think he moved from FL to SC: [education.musc.edu]

Yeah, looks like you're right. He's not listed on Cleveland Clinic Weston's web site anymore.

Hi

For a recent ablation for 10% burden PVCs I used Dr Restrepo of Florida Electrophysiology associates in Port St Lucie.

[heartbeatdoctor.com]

Very experienced - PVCs dropped to almost zero.