You are welcome Peggy, Again, ithe issue is one of personal 'Informed' choice. That is why I am so adament to counter the Pollyanna like reassurance so many Eps have so care-freely adopted when convincing their patients that its only a total win-win with these new agents relative to Warfarin. I don't mean at all to suggest they are being deceptive about the issue, most for sureby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Janet, Please listen to HAns and researcher here, its not the technology that failed you do far. Its the person behind it and perhaps you've had a difficult case too... all the more reason to go for only the top elites after 3 incomplete ablations. Just remember the very best elite operators all have access to and help develop the next cutting edge gear. Let them sort out what is best to usby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Chris, What ever you do, do NOT go to an EP for a persistent AFIB ablation that has around 240 procedures under his belt. WIth your first ablation having been a partial success for a while, a maestro like Natale will be able to discover the weak points or reconnections from the first one and also address all those spots than may have been missed as well. Your odds are good for a one and done fromby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
You can have some PVCs PACs after ablation Chris as most do to some degree, even if you don't realize it. If that every happens just follow the 'PAC tamer' that Hans has posted about and the Strategy Jackie compiled for us all to help keep them quiet. Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Peggy, Greetings from Brussels where I arrived today to help at the EU Hormone and Pro-aging Congress this weekend. I've been on the road now for three weeks from San Fran to get my TEE and verdict on my anti-coagulation issue with Dr. Natale ( more on that when I get back and have something more handy than an IPAD to post on), also Vegas last week at a similar US version of this BHRTby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes indeed an under active thyroid is often responsible for AFIB symptoms and palpitations of various sorts. This is especially true in the presence of unaddressed adrenal disfunction which is, indeed, very commonly found together with varying degrees of hypothyroid. This phenomenon is rarely due to suddenly having too much thyroid hormone in the body if your docs diagnosis of an underactivby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
McHale, yes it seems AFIb is almost an occupational hazard for Pro Basketball players. No doubt from the very tall bodies under a lot of continuous exertion and with larger than normal surface area in their atriums and hearts overall. Definitely they seem predisposed. And don't leave out Akeem 'The Dream' Olajuwon whose career was cut short too by AFIB. Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks Hans, That is a wonderful post! It is so true that childhood trauma whatever the cause, particularly if it is sustained during the early puberty years into early adulthood at a time when there are major changes and development in the whole endocrine system are going on, including the HPA and thyroid axis. People who have experienced major shocks, particularly repetitive shocks, duriby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good news ... the I-phone 5 version is supposed to be out between April and June.. will hold off for that one. Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Best Wishes and take good care of yourself afterward .. you'll do fine! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Pete, Quite a saga ... stress is a biggie for everyone whether from an abusive mentally ill spouse or any of a million other sources. And your unfortunate experience with that early ablation just underscores the well known advice now to choose an ablationist carefully and one with as many solid AFIB ablations under their belt as possible ... 1,500 is my strict limit for who I would recoby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Neroli, I just saw your PM and will try to answer it in detail in the coming days. I just returned from a week in Santa Fe to help out my brother who was suddenly hospitalized with a serious diverticulits perforation emergency. He is doing slowly better now and I am getting ready for a long series of trips starting with seeing Dr. Natale week after next in SF for my follow up TEE after my LAAby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks Jackie, Me too! and I will get my verdict week after next in San Fran after my TEE and visit with Dr. N to discuss the verdict. Take care, Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
I agree with Hans Absolutely without question! If you have no insurance and have to pay cash where ever you are then go to Bordeaux. It has by far the best combination of skilled Elite EPs and low relative out of pocket cost that I know of anywhere! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Usually those paying cash can work out a substantially reduced deal than the max quoted insurance price. You have to negotiate though and not just pay what the quote says... and for sure do the negotiating up front if paying by cash. Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
It depends on where you get it and what kind of procedure .. to a degree. My follow up was around $48,000 billed to insurance. Of that around $12,800 was for Dr Natale specific procedural steps. My first longer and more complex ablation in 2008 at St Davids for persistent AFIB was billed to insurance at $80,650 in total, but I had to stay there four extra days in the hospital due to so mucby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes Heather, Gill has a very good suggestion to first get all the cost facts down pat from Bordeaux and present it to UK health insurance showing them they could likely save money, plus reduce the chances for multiple procedures needed by using one of the top EPs anywhere in the world with a highly experienced hospital and support staff too. Best of luck and keep us posted! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Edgar, While I don't personally know Dr. Callans, I have heard a number of good things about him from other EPs and patient reports, such as yours above, and as one of the main ablationist in the Penn group, he seems to be the most sought after in that group for actually doing ablations (rather than mostly focusing on research reports) and as such he should be plenty experienced with hby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hey Denver and George, I'm gradually getting past the Broncos loss to the Ravens when they had the game won only to give it back at the end of regulation time in the game, snatching defeat from the jaws of certain victory. Always a tough way to lose a big game they very much could and should have won. Been a die hard Bronco fan for 45 years! As some consolation, the next couple yearsby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
One other thing, The Lariat procedure is not just for those who have had LAA isolation ablation and subsequent Trans-Esophageal Echocardiogram shows a delayed blood velocity emptying from the LAA below 0.4m/sec and with a corresponding absence of a consistent A-Wave on Doppler Echo imaging. It is also indicated for those with AFIB who have not had an ablation, but who cannot tolerate Coumadby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Well, IM a little late to the party but am sure you are resting now after a successful procedure and already on the road to healing up quickly! Best wishes, Gianfranco Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
McHale Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Barb, > Dr Chintz's lab is up and running again and they > are back to doing ablations. > That's the problem everyone talks about Natale as > the only go to guy that it presents confusion and > doubt about every other EP. If Natale was in New > York I would have done it already myself...by Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
That is a tough one Colin. Normally you would think it's a simple decision to go for the local guy .. (which country are you in by the way and how many ablations has you top option there done?) ... The fact that you are still paroxysmal strongly argues in that favor for doing it locally. But it's at least first worth asking how many years have you been paroxysmal and how frequent theby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
PeggyM Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This cannot be a common occurrence among aspirin > users, for my elderly father died with full use of > his eyesight in spite of having habitually used > aspirin in handful quantities daily for as long as > i knew him. He had a very painful back condition > for which he was never properly treated andby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
This link is to a very clear and mostly self explanatory animated video of how the new Sentreheart Lariet -II Left Atrial Appendage closure device to help minimize or eliminate stroke risk in AFIB, is installed and works. Lariet-II procedure. Note: you must have the Windows Media Player plug-in actively downloaded and installed in your browser to run the video. Or just use Internet Exploreby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Barb, Its not that Dr Natale is the only EP that can do an excellent job for you in the US, not at all. there are other excellent ablationist with a good and growing track record as well. The thing is this... when coming to make such a decision the question you or any one else should ask is this. Do I have the time, circumstances and resources .. including insuracne flexibility ... thby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Denver, Great news from another grateful Natale alumni! Here's wishing another 7.5 years times at least 5 or more! And the TRX is a wonderfully simple and effective fitness tool, I take it with me everywhere when I travel as well. Cheers Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Heather, 60% to 70% on one ablation these days is about the range for very average EPs not the elite operators! It alll depends on what he defines as success, but believe me even a rare occasional short breakthrough is a huge success compared to 24/7 AFIB as it could get too with more progression so a good ablation, even if not 100% never again AFIB can be a very good thing too. I'by Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Barb, Its a two part question really. 1. Do people worry and procrastinate too long to get an ablation even when they need one .. answer is probably yes in many cases .. I know I did. 2. Then why not just wing it with any recommended doc in my local community since I have heard of a couple anecdotal reports of people who seem to doing fine now with just the local guy. That one requby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi again Ellen, Here is the link to the 2008 Ablation/Maze survey that Hans compiled. 2008 Ablation Survey Note the the top three institutions were Cleveland Clinic,. California Pacific Med Center and Cleveland Clinic Weston Florida which is Dr. Sergio Pinski even though at the time of this survey Hans only had 7 of his ablations accounted for but with excellent results. Keep in mind thatby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM