QuoteCatherine Anti-Fib have you had an ablation? I’m terrified of the procedure. I've had six. There's nothing to be terrified of. If you choose ablation, just make sure you choose an EP who's done at least hundreds of them, preferably thousands. Experience is everything. I would have had five fewer if I'd followed that advice.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotemwcf Thing is it’s definitely AF when I lie down but always changes to a fast regular rhythm of around 160BPM whenever I’m up and about for a few minutes say going to the loo. I'd put money on the fast regular rhythm around 160 being flutter. Mixed afib and flutter is common so having both isn't surprising. I had both and they definitely intermingled.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yay for you! Just take it easy and enjoy normal sinus rhythm. Revel in it! And don't get discouraged if you hit the bumps in the road. It's part of the blanking period. It will pass and it doesn't indicate failure.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCatherine It’s a real head scratcher to read that people discover they have AF during a routine physical exam. How could that be? Are these people just not paying attention to how their bodies feel? Nope, they're paying as much attention as you are, but they simply don't feel it. Really, not even a little. People can be in afib for years without feeling a thing before they finaby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Bummer. Do you have a Kardia? Curious if it's afib or flutter.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I think paroxysmal tends to be more symptomatic than persistent, but that's a generalization. As George pointed out, it's very individual and there will be exceptions. Stroke risk is probably higher for persistent because stroke risk goes up the more you're in afib. However, your CHADS score matters a lot here. You can calculate your score here.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotemwcf So do Natale and DiBiasi use point-by-point as well as lines or just lines? I'm sure they do both as the situation calls for it. For example, ablating a single focal source of ectopy probably requires individual burns rather than a line. Natale and his proteges aren't the only ones capable of the technique but I do believe he pioneered it.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotejpeters Think he may be referring to dragging technique, which is different then cyro. That's exactly what I'm referring to. Natale makes lines with RF. It's not unique to cryo. Cryo just makes it easier and faster at the expense of being rather limited in where it can make lines.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotejpeters Hongo felt that lines were more susceptable to breakthroughs than points over the long term. Natale agrees, which is why he makes lines, not points. Experienced, well-trained ablationists make lines with RF. What cryo can't do is anything other than isolate the pulmonary veins. That makes it effective for simple cases, which apparently comprise about 65%, but if there areby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes, I was always able to predict my afib episodes a day or two in advance. That said, I agree with the others. You need to relax and expect bumps in the road for the next couple of months. You might experience episodes of afib, flutter, and/or annoying PACs. Ignore them and don't fret about them. It's perfectly normal. Don't take flecainide without talking to your EP first. Yoby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Cryo works great for about 65% of the patients who receive it, which is on par with RF ablation performed by average EPs. It's quicker than RF ablation and can be performed by EPs with far less training and experience, so it has merits. As a first procedure I would not tell someone to avoid it, and if their EP was less than highly experienced and they insisted on seeing them anyway, I wouldby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Okay, you're not a failure. ;-) Try the metoprolol without the flecainide. It blunts the effects of adrenaline, which you produce in response to anxiety, and I suspect that's why this is working for you. The flec probably isn't doing squat.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I've been using planetdrugsdirect.com for one of my wife's prescriptions for over a year now. Totally legit, reliable and vetted. Just be aware that the drugs you order will likely come from offshore sources and will take 3-5 weeks to arrive, so plan accordingly.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The physical trauma to your heart will be less. There will be fewer burns and you'll be under anesthesia a shorter period of time. And if it's just a typical right-sided flutter then he might not even need to do a septal puncture and go into the left atrium. Either way the fatigue following the procedure should be less due to less trauma and shorter anesthesia time. No way to predicby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotejpeters From "Ten things to expect after AF ablation", John Mandrola: "A majority of patients have chest pain for a few days after the procedure. The severity of the pain varies a lot. Most often, it hurts to take a deep breath or cough. Some patients say their chest feels tight. These symptoms are likely due to irritation of the lining of the heart, called the pericardium&by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotePompon If it adds so much risk, why do they use this technique in Bordeaux ? I'm sure a GA adds its own risks too, so I guess it's somewhat equal. If one choice proved to be really better, I think it's what they would go for nearly everywhere. I can't speak for why Bordeaux does what they do, but I would point out that not using GA is cheaper since no anesthesiologist iby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotejpeters Nothing at all related to local anaesthsia . Pericardial effusion (PE) is certainly one of the most frequently observed complications during AF ablation. Pericardial effusion was detected in 19 (14.2%) of 133 patients. . Ablation was performed under general anaesthesia That's an eight-year old article that must have used very broad criteria for identifying pericarby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The manufacturer says Xarelto can be crushed, so that means it can also be split. I'm sorry for your loss.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack Pacemakers in the context of AF are used to prevent passing out in patients who are on high doses of rate control medication and experience lengthy (> 3 second) pauses in heartbeat when converting from AF to normal sinus rhythm. Pacemakers neither control nor prevent AF. Dr. DiBiase is the “rock star” in NYC. They may also be suggesting an AV node ablation, which should be aby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteSam Carey clearly was referring to me. After my Bordeaux ablation I had a degree of Effusion (very common after an ablation) which was clearing up nicely three days later. Glad to hear it cleared up for you but no, it's not very common. Pericardial effusion is a rare complication. If it's common for an EP to see it in his patients, I wouldn't go near that EP.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotePompon I agree with your answer, Carey, but the EP saying he wants a GA because the patient must stay perfectly still doesn't tell the truth. There are good reasons to go for a GA, as you wrote, but not that one, IMO. Of course it's the truth. Although ablations can be done with conscious sedation that doesn't change the fact that a conscious patient presents an increased riby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteBillyjeans I had my 3rd ablation last week with Dr Natale. Everything went well and I've been in NSR for 7 days now. To put that in perspective I haven't had 7 days NSR since some time in 2014. That's awesome!by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJoe I had a 24 hr monitor and my PACs were 1% - max. HR 132, count 1,623, PVCs 2% - max. HR 94, count 501. Wonder if these are numbers i should worry about? Nope. Very unremarkable numbers.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteBrian_og Here's an answer to the OP question Inga is saying that propofol is a good alternative, but propofol renders you unconscious too so I'm not sure what she means. And I have no idea why Mandrola says he can't use propofol. EPs use propofol routinely. I've been put under with it for every one of my six ablations.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotejpeters How many have you done? How many what?by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotePompon Would you elaborate a little? Movement. You have catheters in direct contact with the atrial wall, a wall which is very thin and fragile. Move just a couple of millimeters and you're the proud owner of a hole in your atrium and the resulting pericardial effusion. Depending on severity, it could require open heart surgery to repair. In fact, one of the members here recently leftby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Conscious sedation for an ablation makes no sense to me whatsoever. I would never even consider it. The safety reasons alone are enough to rule it out.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Tracy, Yes, your walks are perfectly safe. Whether you have afib or flutter isn't possible to discern from the rate alone. Although you may well also have flutter, I think you may have misunderstood Shannon because 180 doesn't suggest flutter. It's more likely afib, especially since you experience dizziness, shortness of breath, etc. Flutter is less likely to produce those syby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Millions of people take anticoagulants and fish oil together, including me. It's really not a problem unless maybe you're taking huge amounts. I don't think you needed to give up any of the supplements you mentioned. I don't know where you got the idea the other items like magnesium are a problem. They're not. Oh, and fish oil did nothing for my BP, so it's no miby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
It could also be effects of the anesthesia. Sometimes it takes a while for the intestines to resume normal function after anesthesia, and that could explain your symptoms.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM