Ablation during this COVID pandemic

Hi to all.
I posted here a few years ago and actually was in touch with the always helpful Shannon. However I did not go through with the ablation. This last month the medications seem to fail and I am reconsidering. I wanted to know if anyone has had an ablation with Dr Natale during this epidemic and had to travel by plane and stay at local hotels.
Thanks much.
Victoria

I have my ablation scheduled June 10th. This might be flawed thinking but with all the extra saftey, sanitizing, social distancing etc etc. I'm probably less likely to get any virus let alone covid right now.

Bonus traveling during this time airfare family of 4 Seattle to Austin round trip cost $1000 total, 7 days in VRBO 2 bed condo downtown Austin $689 total and it's a really nice new swanky condo complex. (very cheap

Good luck!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2020 10:49AM by Driver.

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Driver
I have my ablation scheduled June 10th. This might be flawed thinking but with all the extra saftey, sanitizing, social distancing etc etc. I'm probably less likely to get any virus let alone covid right now.

I don't think it's flawed thinking. I think it's right-on thinking.

I wouldn't hesitate to fly to Austin and do an ablation now if I needed one. Health care is far safer than people think now because of the precautions hospitals have implemented, and air travel is also safer than people think. Most (all?) airlines have implemented distancing measures and aircraft air conditioning is a lot more effective than most people think. It's safer than your local Walmart, that's for sure. Just use the simple precautions advised by the CDC.

I wouldn't worry. Natale's group has been staying on top of keeping everyone healthy.. I would argue most all hospitals are on top of things. Some better than others im sure. But top facilities are always going to be ahead of the curve.

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Carey
aircraft air conditioning is a lot more effective than most people think.

[www.askthepilot.com]

Yes. The infection risk aboard aircraft comes from high-touch surfaces, not the cabin air. Both the air volume replacement and filtration on a modern jet far exceed what you’d find in an office building or retail store. If there’s a legitimate beef about cabin air, it’s the relative humidity being low. That breaks down the mucous membranes in your nose and sinuses and makes it easier for the nasties to get in. So pack a bottle of nasal spray and then stop worrying about the air. Worry instead about what you touch and having hand sanitizer in your carry-on luggage.

I had a April 29th scheduled pvc ablation with Dr Natale. I postponed it because of my health history/CA being a covid19 hotspot. I didn’t have to fly like you, TO is local but I was concerned of catching it in the hospital. I had PVCs since October and pretty much full time since January.

To my surprise my PVCs just cold turkey stopped 4 days after the scheduled April 29th date. Carey and others had said that PVCs usually stop after the blanking period and Carey you are right.

In Thousand Oaks, CA where Natale did my first ablation and where I saw him this month, the hospital doesn’t have a rapid covid19 test so to get cardiovert I had to get tested and return the following day. You may want to find out if Austin requires testing and if they use the rapid test.

It’s a tough call to fly tho Dr Natale does it all the time. Most airlines require you wear a mask. I would buy a face shield too in case you need to take off your mask to drink. I bought a fantastic one on eBay. I just bought some for my kids.
[www.ebay.com]

Good to hear from you again Victoria! I can tell you all that Dr Natale is nearly back to his normal peak voilume of ablations now at St Davids, and as SusanD noted he was in California last week at Los Robles and Scripps as well.

At St Davids Medical Center they do not treat any COVID-19 positive individuals on the property at all, and all staff, physicians and everyone else get frequent PCR testing (PCR is the most common virology test used world wide that defines the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Plus they have conducted antibody kit testing they spent a lot of money and effort to fully validate the accuracy of. And they found a very accurate serology (antibody test) for one specific serology test kit. After trying several other serology kits that were not at all reliable, they discovered this particular antibody screening kit to be highly accurate in detecting robust antibodies in apparently every EMT first responders from the greater Austin/Central Texas region that were recruited for such testing over a three week period and whom had previously confirmed COVID-19 positive PCR screening. This new serology test showed that in robust COVID positive patients via the prior PCR screening , that these EMT first responders all showed robust COVID IgM and/or IgG antibody expression.

Regarding a reluctance to travel to Austin during COVID, I understand the concern, but FYI, I've helped usher 5 Afibbers through their ablation process in Austin with Dr Natale over the past two weeks and all have done very well and are back safe and sound in their hometowns (the latest one as of 8:30pm Thursday night).

As for the low humidity air in plane cabins, I suggest buying a few small spray bottles of 'XLear Nasal Spray' at any pharmacy like Walgreens or CVS that conditions, moistens and makes supple mucous membranes especially in the nose. It also is claimed to help wash out bacteria and virus from inside the nasal passages to some degree and it certainly keeps everything nice and soft in the nasal passages.

I use XLEAR as well with a few sprays in each nostril before just going and coming out of my local Whole Foods and other stores with larger numbers of people present, in addition to wearing a mask and plenty of sanitizer when soap and water isn't handy.

Just follow instructions on the back of XLEAR bottle which says to: "be sure and remove nozzle from each nostril before allowing bottle to reinflate and thus avoid contamination of the bottle contents.

Best wishes and don't worry too much about travel with the 'new normal' restrictions and following proper CDC guidelines for social distancing, with masks and frequent use of hand sanitizer during the trip. For what it is worth, all of the Afibbers I know who have been to Austin in recent weeks said it was much easier and less stressful than they had imagined beforehand, with just a little planning and vigilance in social settings.

Shannon

(PS to all, my apologies, as I've cleaned up some typos this morning from my original post above that I had banged out late last night just before bed when I was obviously half way to dreamland :-).



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2020 10:42AM by Shannon.

Thank you all for your reassuring replies. I will be in touch again as I make my way through this journey. You are all so helpful and calming.
And thank you Shannon for remembering me.
Victoria

Good Luck to you ! Please keep us abreast of your ablation.
Victoria

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Shannon
Good to hear from you again Victoria! I can tell you all that Dr Natale is nearly back to his normal peak voilume of ablations now at St Davids, and as SusanD noted he was in California last week at Los Robles and Scripps as well..

So right Shannon! From first hand experience from my Los Robles visit, Dr. Natale was back at full volume for ablations last week. My first AF after my ablation was a rough one with my highest HR at 205 so when I came for my appointment, I wheeled in an overnight bag just in case he wasn’t at full volume (because of cancellations) I wanted a touch up ablation anytime he had a spot...but he was full. I got cardiovert instead and so far in nsr. He has an amazing and caring staff. Kelley is his day to day NP who cares so much for her patients. She called me this week just to make sure I am ok. I can honestly say she is the best person to be on my team when Dr. Natale is away. I’m in good hands.

Great to hear Susan! And that is the same story I hear repeatedly especially in the most recent couple of years that Dr N has been going to Los Robles Med Center in Thousand Oaks CA.

It quite naturally usually takes a good 6 months or more for the existing staff at a new center for Dr Natale to all become a well-oiled machine together once he begins doing procedures from 3 days to a week each month at a new remote center in a different state away from his St Davids Med Center mothership.

I believe this is his third year, maybe going on the fourth year, he has been regularly working at Los Robles northwest of LA a few days each month (and on the same trip he also does procedures for another few days, about a 1 hr & 45min. drive just south of Los Robles, at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla CA.

And over the last few years I have also continually heard great reports about Dr Natale's NP at Los Roblos, Kelly, and her caring management of patients as you too report!

I'm glad to hear you are doing well Susan, and at least had a chance to see Dr N and get an ECV done at LR week before last!

Cheers!

Shannon