Electrophysiologists

Hi Everyone,

Is anyone aware of recommendations for EP's in Australia. My cardio tells me I'm not a candidate because of my age and gender! ...75 and female???
He has been telling me that for years and I feel I have let an opportunity slip by.

Although I am not in permanent AF I do get episodes up to 4-5 times a month lasting from between 4 and 8 hours, the odd one a bit longer.

I find as the years go by I am less able to tolerate the episodes so maybe an ablation could work for me. However I don't want to risk my heart to an inexperienced operator.

It's difficult to get information on specialists here in Oz.

I currently take Flecainide and Metropanol as a PIP but do suffer side effects.

I have followed and digested the information and discussions by members on this site for some time and have adopted a lot of the ideas from Jackie and other posters and they have been of great help.

Any info appreciated.

Ps
Are there any brands of mag, pt and other recommended supplements that are considered superior? I shop through iherb.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2016 05:17PM by JoyWin.

See this post on Oz EP's who've trained in Bordeaux <[www.afibbers.org]

Any mag works for me, so I'll let someone else answer that.

George

Thanks George...much appreciated.

Alas Joywin, your Cardiologist has done you an inadvertent disservice by telling you 'for years' now that you were not a candidate for ablation due to age and being female. At 75 years old you are definitely NOT disqualified based only on age and sex alone!

Far from it, with a skilled EP who is competent and confident in doing more advanced procedures that include real-time non-PV trigger detection and ablation, in addition to the more basic PVI-only that is the foundation phase of all AFIB ablations, you have an excellent chance of getting rid of your AFIB via and 'expert ablation process' by the most experienced ablationist you can arrange for yourself. I realize your options are relatively limited Down-under but I too would start with seeking out hte most experienced operator there who includes a significant number of persistent AFIB cases in his or her ablation caseload with a high degree of success over a two procedure process for these more challenging class of patients.

It is true that as both a woman and one who is at 70 years or older, the odds that you may well have some degree of Non-PV triggers beyond the pulmonary veins are close to 100%. This common reality does imply that you need to seek out an EP who is not limiting his/her ablation practice to doing PVI/PVAI-only procedures, and who does not even isolate the posterior wall or Superior Vena Cava (SVC isolation) when needed, much less who one who typically avoids actively doing real time electro-physiological sleuthing in order to detect and target those active Non-PV triggers that meet their defined criteria for ablation and that are highly likely to spoil the ablation success if ignored and often not even sought out much less being detected.

If you have the financial resources and willingness to travel you could also travel to Bordeaux or Milan in Italy for an expert ablation process, though admittedly this gets expensive for sure. Hopefully, you will find a couple of good options to choose from there in Australia and I know that Professor Pierre Jais from Bordeaux, who is highly experienced in all forms of AFIB ablation, recently spent close to a year in Perth on an extended teaching sabbatical from his usual Bordeaux practice. Professor Jais may even still be there in Perth, and if so, and you could partner with him or with the top EP there he has been mentoring you should be in good hands.

Best wishes Joywin!

Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2016 01:51PM by Shannon.

Thanks Shannon,

I have always been proactive in my health issues, but for some unknown reason went along with my cardiologist on this. I think it's because when it's the one organ in your body you most want to be strong and it starts giving you grief, you think Dr knows best. Sadly some of them don't.

I use supplements, and am always reading and researching current treatments for AF, and in particular I use this site which can be a great calmer when one is experiencing a bad bout of AF.

I recommend the site to people I meet who are struggling with AF as reading how others manage their situation is good for both the body and the soul.😊

Regards

Joy

Hi Joy,

Now that professor David Ross from Westmead Hospital has retired we have lost a top ep choice. What city do you live in and are you prepared to travel interstate if necessary?

Best wishes, Jim

Hi Jim

I'm in Victoria and would travel if necessary.

In information will be gratefully received. Dr Ross was recommended to me as a good choice.

Regards

Jotq

Hi Joy,

It might be a stretch for you, but Prof. Prash Sanders at the Cardiovascular Centre in Adelaide is a top EP. He heads an AF research centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Adelaide University. He ablated my persistent AF in 2012 and I cannot recommend him highly enough. [www.cardiovascularcentre.com.au]

Cheers,
Rob

Hello again Joy,

You have a couple of good ep options to choose from but just in case you don't want to travel to Perth or Adelaide, another top guy is Dr Stuart Thomas from Westmead Hospital in Sydney. He has taken over many of professor Ross's patients and prof. Ross in his humble way reckoned that Stuart was a better ablation specialist than he was, the pupil overtaking the tutor, he said. Dr Thomas is director of the cardiac laboratories at Westmead and specialises in arrhythmias. Just another option for you - best wishes, Jim.

Thanks Jim

Information is gratefully received.

Regards (and happy heart)

Joy

I had ablation at Westmead and unfortunately had terrible complication and procedure was aborted and I was rushed into ICU after that for 3 days. I could not rebuild my trust in abilities of doctors in Australia and traveled to Bordeaux and had 2 ablations there. I suffered PTSD after failed procedure and my stay in ICU at Westmead hospital.