For our Australian afibbers and with a hop over by plane our NZ Kiwi afibbers too ... I met up again with world-renowned EP and ablation expert Professor Pierre Jais from the famous Bordeaux group in France at the recent AF Symposium 2017 in Orlando.
One key question I was hoping to have Prof Jais answer, were the names of the best AFIB ablation EPs he is familiar wit in Australia. With his long term familiarity and connection to Aussie EP training, both at Bordeaux and when he travels to Australia for a long duration sabbatical from his regular duties at Bordeaux so he can mentor talented Aussie ablationists in their home country. Not long ago, Professor Jais wrapped-up roughly a year stay there, I believe with a good bit of the time during this sabbatical spent doing ablations in congestion with Dr Weerasooriya in Perth.
We often get questions from Australian afibbers asking for guidance on where they should go for their AFIB ablations when the time comes, as a key step in their return to durable NSR. And until now, I only had one or two names to share, and not with the kind of confidence of greater familiarity I would like.
Professor Jais was happy to offer the following names and cities in Australia that he said he can most definitely recommend (though not in any order of preference, noting that they were all highly skilled).
Dr. Prash Sanders - (Adelaide)
Dr. Mark McQuire (Sidney Matter Hospital)
Dr. Stuart Thomas (West Min Hospital)
Dr. John Kalman (Melbourne)
Dr. Rukshen Weerasooriya (Perth - Owner & Director - AF Ablation Clinic)
This should give all Aussie's a good group of expert ablationist to choose from spread over a fairly wide range of this huge continent-sized country.
Keep in mind, we have little first hand experience on our site with these EPs, but I have heard of all to them in a good light at the various conferences I have attended. And getting Professor Jais easy endorsements a big plus inspiring me to offer this list to all our Australian friends here.
Nevertheless, it is still up to each person to do their own personal vetting of this now far more selective list to choose from, in order to find the best match for each afibbers type and duration of AFIB, style of ablations offered by each EP and overall experience ablating your type of AFIB. But it is a great list to start, and likely end with, for those who seek an expert solution 'down under'.
Cheers!
Shannon
