Dr Natale 6 Months Post-Op

Just spoke with Dina about my 8 day LifeWatch 7/24 monitor results last week, pure NSR with some Pacs/PVSs thrown in for a little variety.
This last month my heart has really calmed down, especially the last few weeks since I cut out the Taurine which I read could have an excitatory effect .
Or maybe the heart is just really reached the final stages of healing with good solid ablation lines.
Month 3-6 seemed to be when the heart started to become steadier by the day.
What a ride its been and at day 30 I got to experience my first cardioversion!!!

On the first day of Christmas Shannon sent to me........An Ablation by Na-Ta-LE
What. Christmas present!!!!!!

NSR to All,

McHale



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2013 01:55PM by McHale.

Great you're doing well McHale. Most people seem to react the same way. My own healing period extended to perhaps 9 months out.. Up to then I'd get PACs now and again, sometimes something else (and weirder in the early days).

Hey McHale - that's great news! You must be very relieved to know things are where they should be...finally - yay!

Just curious...why are you talking with Dina versus seeing Dr. Barrett in NYC? I know we both had our ablations in New York, but I was under the impression we needed to continue follow ups with Dr. Barrett since Dr. Natale was now back in Texas.... And did you ask for a 24/7 monitor or is that just what they do around 6 months? I will apparently need to have a TEE at the 6 month time, due to lots of work in the LAA....

Glad to hear you are feeling so well. That is a reason to celebrate!

~ Barb

Great to hear McHale,

Although we've kept in close touch so its no surprise and its the norm with a great EP behind the catheter. You've done well and maybe this is it already, though we have spoken about the odds with having some OSA and possibly needing a touch up at some point, but with Dr N really being so much more proactive than most and challenging the heart to find other non-PV triggers during the first ablation these days, I suspect we will see an increasing percentage of one and done's even from among patients with more issues that might predisposed to needing a touch up to seal things up for the long term.


Thats one of the benefits of going to a maestro, they are not limited to just following a more cookie-cutter standard PVI approach in the index procedure and if and when Dr N see something outside the PVs that is very likely to cause problems he will go after it right there and not wait until next time.

And Barb,

You are coming up on six months before long as it is, I would not worry about staying on the Xeralto through that time and even after if you should need to. You're lifestyle doesn't put you at major risk for injury and bleeds and there is real hope that the reversal agent for all Factor Xa drugs like Xeralto, Apixiban or Eliquis and the new one still in trials will be out within a year or so.

If you do need to stick with anticoagulation due to too slow and LAA velocity, then we can discuss best options, but Xeralto would still be a reasonable choice in your case. OR you could go back to Warfarin for the added reassurance of its easier reversal if ever necessary until you decide if a Lariat or some new LAA ligation or occlusion device is appealing to you.

Happy Holidays to both of you and all Afibbers everywhere!
Shannon

AFhound,
I still get periods of runs of pacs/pvcs but much less now. My healing period will extend out to 9 months too I suppose.
It's was good that these irregularities were not AFIB, that was my concern. But during these runs my pulse was always steady regular but good to know for sure.

Barb,
I just called to discuss the checks I'm sitting on that my insurance company sent to me directly and what to do with them.
So I asked for Patti the PA so I could check on my recordings last week but instead Dina called almost right away and checked instead who gave me the good news
They sent me the monitor out of the blue 2 weeks ago for my 6 month Followup. I guess Dr Barrett would have called to schedule a Followup if LifeWatch alerted him I was still getting AFIB.
I'm also waiting on a call from Dr Danik because my ablation report is incomplete as they lost it and hastily put together something on my Natale Followup at 3 months.
There was no mention of coronary sinus work or supa vena cava that Natale ablated in because I questioned him the next morning and at the followup.
So now I want my Carto 3D map or report because the one I have is incomplete and lacking details.

McHale

Yep McHale was literally one of the very first pioneers at St Luke's in NYC the very first week Dr Natale started doing ablations there and the whole staff there was, to say the least, not quiet yet up to speed. As such, his ablation report went missing, though Dr N had given him a through review of all that was ablated, so hopefully they will be able to recreate a full report from the Carto-3 imaging on file and from Natale's vice grip memory which is legendary. The initial report he got had a good deal of info but not everything.

Shannon

Hope you get your full report soon, McHale. Would be nice to have that for your records. But at least you have gotten great feedback that things are going well!

I'm hoping Dr. Natale comes back to NY in time for my 6 month follow up in March....would prefer he be the one to handle me on all of this. Feeling some more kick ups since starting to taper down the Flec...so I went back to 100 mg. at night until the holidays are over..then will try again. Gulp! Keeping my fingers crossed....

Enjoy your holidays ~ Barb

Mchale you couldn't ask for a better Christmas present. May it continue forever! Dennis

Good for you, McH. Happy holidays to all.

______________
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.

Congratulations, McHale! Wonderful news, and it sounds like things are going as well as they could possibly go.

Best wishes,

Rob

Rob50,
Happy New Year!
May NSR be with you for years to come!

McHale