anyone gone to St. David's via plane for ablation during this time?

Hello,

I am needing my touchup ablation almost 1 yr after my index ablation because of atrial flutter 2 times after the blanking period. I was put on medicine after the first one, but did not stay on it long & for some reason 5 mo later during COVID they opted for ECV for my 2nd episode of flutter. I have put off going to Austin because of the coronavirus situation.

We would have to fly with a connecting flight & then rent a place & then do the takeout/buying of food while we stay in Austin, all of which really add to an already stressful situation of doing these things just in my hometown where I know more of what to do. I believe it will again be a 5-night stay if all goes well. I am on the fence off & on about staying safe & putting off my ablation or plunging ahead because I have a hard time with side effects of medicines & want to be off of them as quickly as I can.

If anyone has traveled to Austin/St. David's for a Natale ablation since COVID-19 has become a problem, can you offer any suggestions - like how the flight/airport situations seemed (crowded or safely distanced, etc.), referral of any reasonably priced & safe places to stay (we can't bring our own cleaners to disinfect the place since we are flying), & what did you do re food during your stay?

Also, how was the COVID test before the procedure? Were you anesthetized since they do it 1 hr before the procedure or just what was it like? And was anyone found to have COVID-19 though they were without symptoms & if so, are they obligated to quarantine you & make you stay 14 days in the hospital in Austin?

Thank you greatly for any helpful information in response to any/all of my questions!

I wouldn't worry about the plane - wear a mask and eye protection. I typically don't eat for 2 days before international travel because public bathrooms and toilets are disgusting to me. I avoid the airplane food too and just bring smoked salmon on. An AirBNB rental (like a house) would have way less contact with other humans than hotel hallways, elevators etc .

I think you're going to find the airports to be virtual ghost towns, and the airlines have implemented distance seating arrangements. Also, contrary to popular belief, the air in airplanes is HEPA filtered before being recirculated, so it's a lot safer than being in a Walmart or hotel. I would wear a mask, but I think eye protection is overkill.

There are BnBs near St. Davids, and like NLAMA said, you'll have less human contact in a BnB.

As for food, Austin is a college town town so there are tons of take out and delivery options. It's also a warm (ie, damned hot) place in the summer, so many restaurants offer outdoor dining.

Have you checked TSA's web site about things like hand sanitizer? They might be making special allowances for stuff like that.

I had an ablation by Dr. Natale 5/15/20. We drove from Washington DC to Austin and stayed in a hotel one night on the way. We then rented a vacation rental near the hospital that was very clean and comfortable. There were a couple great take Mexican places near by and we also shopped at Whole Foods just a couple of miles away. Austin feel very safe. Unfortunately we choose to drive as the airlines were requiring masks at that time nor were they committing to social distancing on the plans yet. I was tested for cod-19 at the hospital and was negative. We also took plenty of gloves, masks, sanitized spray. Best of luck. I know its overwhelming not feeling well and then having to navigate the travel at this time.

I live in the Houston area and unless you have some other underlying health issues would not delay your procedure for COVID reasons. Most all hotels are following safe procedures and there is ample take-out, delivery or dine in food choices. If you are not comfortable with restaurant food order food from one of the major grocery stores.....they have delivery.or curbside pickup If my atrial fibrillation required another visit to Natale would have zero concerns and not hesitate....I am 73.

Steve
Spring, Tx

Many thanks to all of you for your feedback.

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NotLyingAboutMyAfib
I wouldn't worry about the plane - wear a mask and eye protection. I typically don't eat for 2 days before international travel because public bathrooms and toilets are disgusting to me. I avoid the airplane food too and just bring smoked salmon on. An AirBNB rental (like a house) would have way less contact with other humans than hotel hallways, elevators etc .

If you don’t eat for two days you will be dehydrated and risk AF in the plane. Smoked salmon is sooo high in sodium. I don’t think it’s great airplane food. Better unsalted buts without MSG, or anything low on sodium if you don’t plan on drinking on the plane while wearing a mask. I’m a fan of wearing both a N95 mask plus a clear plastic face shield. I wrecked my perfect index ablation by mistakenly eating a can of anchovies-I thought it was sardines.

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susan.d
If you don’t eat for two days you will be dehydrated and risk AF in the plane.

Curious about this. I've fasted a lot - in 2017, I did nineteen consecutive cycles of fasting 5 days in a row out of 14. I never got afib from it, nor was I dehydrated. I pay attention to urine color to determine my hydration level. I did drink water. Of course I'm well adapted to fasting, having been keto or fat adapted since 2009. Results might vary for someone not used to this. NotLying is very adapted, from what he has previously said.

I always fast on traveling days if I'm traveling via plane. One reason is it ups my serum ketone levels, which are protective against radiation - see p 8 of the PDF - (source Richard Veech MD who died in Feb of this year at 84 ran a ketone lab at the NIH and studied under Hans Krebs)

George: everyone is different. For me I have a tendency to get AF when I’m dehydrated. Labs are proof plus they can’t get a decent vein when I am dehydrated. So for me I drink on a plane. Plus staying hydrated helps jet lag. I recommend a plexiglass face shield so you can drink during a flight. I bought a great one on eBay.