One year anniversary successful 4th ablation!

I just want to do a quick post that today is my one year anniversary of my 4th cardiac ablation for atrial fibrillation and flutter. Enlarged left atrium. I had two ablations in 2012 in a different hospital and different EP than the first two. So far, I have been afib free for one year! I never had one blip of afib or flutter after the last ablation. It felt so different this last time. Some pvc's, but that is all. I am not on any medication, either. My BP and HR tend to be higher and I am trying to control that naturally, as I had a bad reaction to the last BP med I tried. I will post more when I have time to get my records out and be more detailed.

I just want those of you who have an enlarged atrium or previous failed ablations to think positive. Life without afib and flutter is so much better than worrying constantly. I still eat healthy and take a few supplements, but I am very careful not to take too many supplements and I am as careful as can be about msg and salt.

Anyway, I just want to let you all know that it can be done! I didn't travel to a distant state or country, but found a good EP right here where I live. My first 2 ablations were 8 hours. The last two were 3 1/2 hours and then 1 1/2 hours. So, there has been a lot of progress made since my first two.

So, Happy Anniversary to me! Don' t give up.

christy

Congratulations! That's great news.

Bruce S

Great news for those of us with enlarged left atriums. I am on TIKOSYN right now and it is taking care of things for me but I find minor side effects in the mornings are just tolerable. MY left atrium presently at 55mm and hopefully will shrink further. All the best to you!

Murray L

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tikosyn uptake Dec 2011 500ug b.i.d. NSR since!
Herein lies opinion, not professional advice, which all are well advised to seek.

Christy,

That is wonderful news! Congratulations and thanks for sharing the good word!

Betty

Hope all stays well , C!

My gosh though... you had to go through four ablations... including over 20 hours worth of procedures!

/L

Christy - You are a brave soul. I wish you the very best for continued NSR.

Jackie

Happy for you, Christy! Constant NSR must be a dream come true ~ Barb

Christy,

Great news! Congratulations, Best wishes on your continued NSR.

Chuck

Wow ! Thanks for sharing long may your NSR continue.

Thank you all for your good wishes! I tried all of the natural things including diet, homeopathic medicine, accupuncture, etc. But, I finally found the right EP and that is what it took. I have been coming here for years and know many of you and your stories. Good luck to all of you still trying to figure out what to do and to those having ablations. This is a great place to learn and find support. I'm sorry it took so long for me to post on this success but I wanted to make sure it really was a success. So far, so good. Bless you all.

christy

Murray, do not give up. My left atrium was enlarged at least as much as yours.

christy

Christy,

Would you like to share who your EP is? Thanks.

Chuck



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2013 03:24PM by Chukker.

I'm not quite at a year since mine, with Conor Barrett at Mass General for standard PVI. But I'm almost at the 9 month mark.
At first there were a few wobbly episodes - most I attribute dehydration - self induced or not :-) - none were AF according to the tapes. At a recent followup, the EP said they had limited historical records as to how long an ablation was good for but he felt AF wasn't coming back "any time soon" as I had come so far in NSR. I go for a standard echo next week. I'll see how that reads, but I hope he is right of course..

Congratulations Christy! I am at 14 months and counting post ablation. Going in for my annual appointment with my EP Monday, after my initial 3 month post ablation appointment in July, 2012. Finally, got rid of my GERD at 1 year post ablation and now am home free. Best of luck and continued NSR.

Jim

Mailman,

Congratulations!

They put me on Pepcid right away after my 3rd ablation and I still have some problems but I think it is my fault. Trying to be careful and trying to stay away from coffee and acid foods. Good luck...it sounds like you are on your way to success! christy

Chuck , Hi!

My EP who did the last two ablations was Dr. David Delurgio with Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. I had my ablation done at the Emory/Crawford Long Hospital at Midtown.. The group also has a clinic in Augusta, Ga. I was told by one of the staff who prepared me for the ablation that his team travels around the world teaching. I have to say that the only time I saw him was my first appt. and then right before the ablations and right after as I was waking up. His nurse did the follow up but she is fantastic. It bothered me at first that he didn't follow up personally, but, hey, he cured me. That is all I care about now. If he spends his time teaching and doing ablations, that is more experience he has. He doesn't send me personal emails or call me, but his nurse is always there for me. I haven't had a blip of afib or flutter since the 2nd ablation by him. They were 6 months apart. I will post the story later...I need to go through my records. I have found that being on the computer raises my BP so I limit my time.

Take care, Chuck...

christy

Hi Afhound... I will have an echo in 6 months but the tests for me were MRI's. I had one the day before my first ablation that was ordered by the EP...then one 3 months after and another one 3 months after the 2nd ablation. Long story, but they found something in my lungs after the 2nd ablaton and I am having CT scans by my Pulmonary doc for that. The Echo is being done by my Cardiologist only because I asked him if it would show if my left atrium would shrink after the afb and flutter was gone. Why are they doing an Echo on you?

Keep drinking water!

Good luck!

christy

Christy, just routine yearly echo.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/2013 12:08PM by afhound99.

Christy,
Thanks for your reply. I live just outside Augusta in SC. There is an EP named Adam Berman in Augusta, I don't know if he is connected with your group. I considered him before I decided on Dr Wharton at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. I read a lot of good things about Dr. Wharton here on this site. My ablation was done on 13 Feb 2013. I am on a 30 day monitor right now and so far no problems. My follow up was also performed by Dr. Wharton's nurse practitioner. I have no problem with that. That frees the Dr. up for more important things like ablations. Dr. Wharton was great. He called my wife during the ablation and immediately after to let her know how it was going. I saw him after the ablation and he explained what he did. I am very pleased with the care I received at MUSC.

Regards,
Chuck

Chuck

I discussed Dr. Wharton with the EP who referred me to Dr. DeDelurgio and he is suppose to be excellent. The referring EP told me that Dr. Delurgio was as good. I don't think he said he is in the same group. It sounds like we both had a great EP and hopefully continued NSR! I was very happy with is nurse and her follow up. She took much more time with me than the doc would have been able to. I found one thing interesting. My heart started acting up after treatments and surgeries for breast cancer. The nurses at Dr. Delurgio's office told me that Winship Clinic sends all of their cancer patients to the heart clinic before they start treatments. They follow up the patients to see how the cancer treatments effect the heart. So, we are making so much progress. Also, I asked her about Nattokinase and she said that they did study the research done on it but couldn't suggest patients take it instead of blood thinners because there just wasnt' enough evididence it would prevent a stroke as well as aspirin or blood thinners. I was on Pradaxa and Dr. Delurgio said it makes it much easier for him and the patient. And, I have to say that it did. No Lovenox injections or TEE before the ablation. Good luck, Chuck! christy

Christy,
Pretty much the same here except I am on Xarelto. No Lovenox injections or TEE before for me either. I haven't had any problems with Xarelto. I am always getting cuts and scrapes working around the house and have had no problems with bleeding. I had a tooth extracted and went off xarelto for a couple days just in case. If all goes well with the monitor I should be off xarelto the end of this month.
As so many on this site have said find the best doctor/facility you can. There are many doctors around who are capable. Continued good health to you, Christy!

Chuck

Christy, I'm so glad you stayed with it. I can remember when you believed that NSR would never be a part of your life again, but it finally happened. Wishing you many years of good health and continued normal heart rhythms.

Warm regards,
Marian

Hi Christy,

Really good news to hear things are going so well with you after number two with Dr. Delurgio, I'd heard of him twice before but not as much detail as now. It sounds like he is a solid ablationist capable and willing to go after non-PV sources when required which is what you want. Especially on a second ablation and beyond.

About the duration differences for each of the four ablations, the eight hours for the first two is a dead ringer give away for an inexperienced EP. Its also quite possible his burns weren't as consistently transmural as you both would have preferred as well, which is a common limitation with less experienced operators. They are often so concerned about going too far that they err on the other side and don't go far enough to get the job done properly, leading to an on-going cycle of more ablations needed.

Anyone can need two ablations even with the top tier ablationists, just from the complex and variable nature of the beast in each person. But when you get into four plus territory its a good bet at least one of the EPs doing the work was still in a relative training phase or he or she just might not have 'the touch'.

However, after two ablations with the first Doc surely at least some of what was done was lasting and that, in turn, would tend to shorten the job some for Dr. Delurgio coming later, just like your second ablation with him was a good deal shorter than your first (third overall).

Most subsequent ablations are shorter than the one before for that reason. There is usually a lot less to have to address and the better the job the first time, often its then just a couple of places left that have to be knocked out and then suddenly you have that feeling you describe where its all very different than after the prior ablations and you feel very solid almost from day one.

That's a good sign, obviously, as your year of freedom confirms. Best wishes on continued NSR for the long haul!

Shannon

Marian, thank you for your support all of these years since I met you here. You have been my rock! I love you.

Shannon, thank you for your post. My first two ablations were 13 years ago and were 8 hour procedures which were so differen't than what they do now. My EP was wonderful and caring but times were different and he had done a lot of ablations for that time. A lot has happened in 13 years to make this procedure so much easier and I am sure that what he did helped me and helped my new EP. . I am thankful I found Dr. Delurgio. He was recommended by another EP, actually

Thanks again for all the kind and encouraging words. Life is so much better without afib! I have to say my heart rate is elevated but I was if flutter for so long before the last two ablations that I wonder if that has anything to do with that.

Take care, all.

christy