Checkups? Adult Aspirin? after ablation??

As noted in a previous post, I was successfully ablated 8 years ago by Natale (Hsu assisting) and have had NSR since then.

I was advised to take one daily adult aspirin at the time of the ablation. I checked with Dr. Hsu a couple of years ago, and he advised that I should continue taking the adult aspirin daily. However, I read here that some of you are on NO medications after a successful ablation. I am wondering why some take no Rx and I do? Any thoughts? The ablation was instantly successful with no issues following. Taking the adult aspirin severely limits what I can take for inflammation (NSAIDS), leaving my primarily with expensive Celebrex. However, I really never need to take Celebrex or a NSAIDS, anyway!

Also, he advised i should have a checkup yearly by a cardiologist, which I have not done. My PCP has performed an in-office electro cardiogram every couple of years, and the strip always looks great.

So, are the rest of who have had successful ablations being followed by a cardiologist?

Denver

Delighted to hear that you are still doing well.

My ablation, (followed 3 days later by a second because of recurrence), was done by Prof. Haissaguerre in Bordeaux in January 2003. I was referred to him, at my request, by my EP in London because at that time no one in UK had the expertise I wanted. I have been in NSR since the ablations, though I get huge numbers of ectopic beats, up to 9000 on a 24 hour Holter. During the past year I have also had very occasional short bursts of tachycardia.

After I returned home I saw the London EP for follow up every 3 months, then every 6 months, and finally once a year. The London EP told me that they would want to continue with annual checkups (ECG, BP and consultation) for ever. Last year they wrote to say that I would instead have an annual telephone call from an arrhythmia nurse - I am sure this was to do with cuts in our NHS budget.

I was not happy with the downgrade, wrote a strong letter, and my annual consultation with the EP was reinstated. I find it very useful to be able to ask questions and get answers from an expert.

I take supplements but no medication. I used to take aspirin but stopped after reading that it wasn't good for preventing first strokes. My EP would like me to be on warfarin because I am 75 years old and female. I decline and now take nattokinase instead. He accepts it as my choice but can't endorse it, he says, because there is no reliable evidence that it works.

Gill (female, pronounced 'Jill' in UK)

Denver,

The issue is one of silent afib. There have been a number of studies showing this to be an issue with ablatees and these have been reported here over the years. Obviously an ECG strip that is clean only proves you are in NSR at that moment.

If you can identify NSR with your fingers on yours radial pulse, you could sample a couple of times a day and be confident of no silent afib.

You could also use nattokinase instead of aspirin.

Also what is your CHADS2 or the newer score (whose name escapes me) for stroke risk? I'm traveling, so don't have the references at hand. As I recall, blood pressure, age, prior strokes, sex(female) were some of the inputs.

Enjoy your NSR!

George

According to Steven Hao, follows with a 24-hour Holter monitor for a week reveal silent afib is very rare after apparently successful ablations.

His center does them at 3.5 months after ablation, then yearly after that.

______________
Lone paroxysmal vagal atrial fibrillation. Age 62, female, no risk factors. Autonomic instability since severe Paxil withdrawal in 2004, including extreme sensitivity to neuro-active drugs, supplements, foods. Monthly tachycardia started 1/11, happened only at night, during sleep, or when waking, bouts of 5-15 hours. Changed to afib about a year ago, same pattern. Frequency increased over last 6 months, apparently with sensitivity to more triggers. Ablation 6/27/13 by Steven Hao.

GeorgeN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Denver,
>
> The issue is one of silent afib. There have been a
> number of studies showing this to be an issue with
> ablatees and these have been reported here over
> the years. Obviously an ECG strip that is clean
> only proves you are in NSR at that moment.
>
> If you can identify NSR with your fingers on yours
> radial pulse, you could sample a couple of times a
> day and be confident of no silent afib.
>
> You could also use nattokinase instead of
> aspirin.
>
> Also what is your CHADS2 or the newer score (whose
> name escapes me) for stroke risk? I'm traveling,
> so don't have the references at hand. As I
> recall, blood pressure, age, prior strokes,
> sex(female) were some of the inputs.
>
> Enjoy your NSR!
>
> George

Stroke risk is quite low from various rating devices.

Thanks, ALL, for the input.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2013 10:55PM by dnvrfox.