Mostly, yes. Do you recall anyone mentioning a bubble study or having an echocardiogram during which they injected saline into your IV? I would imagine they did one at some point. I have an ASD as well and it's the first test they ran. It was negative so I didn't need to do anything about the ASD. As for the tachycardia, is it so symptomatic that you can't continue running or dby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotebettylou4488 Thanks Carey- yes I know you are very pro ablation No, I am not "pro ablation." That doesn't even make sense. That's like saying someone is pro bypass surgery. I am pro normal sinus rhythm by whatever means works best for you.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteKen Ablation success is mostly dependent on the EP. However, the question may be: Has an ablation left you worse off than before the ablation? I can see that there could be little or no improvement from a bad ablation, but has anyone had a negative experience, side effects, more afib, etc? The answer is yes and you can find numerous examples here on this forum. They range from complicatiby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDavid_L He said he would just do a straight PVI. With the little I know, I found the statement disappointing. I didn't ask him to clarify and explain. I think at this point I started to believe I wouldn't be getting an ablation in this clinic. I guess he gets away with this often, or he's got a lot of patients coming back. A straight PVI is not what you want and you shoby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I absolutely do not wish I'd never had an ablation, I've had six, and I came out waaay worse from the first three. I only wish I'd never done the first three because I chose the wrong EP to do them, I didn't understand the criteria I should have been applying to select him, and I allowed him too many do-overs. Had I gone to the EP who did the 6th, I believe I would have been aby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
When you say a heart rate over 120 tends to pivot towards tachycardia, what exactly do you mean? Do you mean your HR will remain high even after you've stopped exercising, or do you mean it goes to an inappropriately high rate? Also, have you ever sought a second opinion from an interventional cardiologist or heart surgeon regarding the ASD? Has anyone ever done a bubble test to see if thby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDavid_L I asked, do you put my heart into A-fib during the procedure and look for areas other than the pulmonary veins. No, he said. If your heart happens to go into A-fib during the procedure, he said, then we look at what is happening (and, presumably, ablate other areas), but otherwise not. Then how does he know there are no other sources of afib? Sounds to me like this guy does a sby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN What Carey may be unaware of (as a successful ablatee who has not had afib in a few years, thankfully) is they give you different answers if you are a subscriber or not. Around February 2021, they started adding more analyses for premium account holders. Prior to that it would always say "possible" afib. Now it will say "atrial fibrillation" for premium accountby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack Yes. Massaging the neck area around the carotids can precipitate arrhythmia. Yeah, but that's a totally different thing, and actually downright dangerous. I can't imagine a licensed massage therapist getting anywhere near the carotids. You have pressure receptors in your carotids and massaging them or even just applying pressure is a well known way to cause instant unconby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Susan, you're an unusual case and I agree you probably can't fly with less than a 10 pound bag, but most people who don't have CPAP or special needs can. I just used an old, cheap backpack I happen to have. I just checked and it weighs .83 pounds. (I had to use a food scale to weigh it.) In any case, carrying luggage isn't a good reason to pay for a plane ticket for anotheby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The Kardia is as accurate and reliable as you can get aside from a professionally administered 12-lead ECG. It's FDA approved to diagnose afib regardless of heart rate, which makes it unique. The Apple Watch cannot do that. I've owned one since 2015 and have a lifetime premium account as an early adopter, so I have a lot of experience with it. I'm also a former EMT so I know howby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had no problem flying to Austin and back twice with a bag that weighed less than 10 pounds. (If your bag weighs 7 pounds empty then you need to visit Amazon and find a 1 pound bag.) For those who need to bring CPAP machines it's probably impossible to keep it under 10 lbs, but if you don't need CPAP then all you need is three days worth of underwear, a shirt or two, and toiletries.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDavid_L My wife seems very opposed to getting in a plane during the pandemic. She seems to think it is outlandish to seek out someone who actually comes up on some searches when you ask who is the best EP in the world. Then don't bring her along. I traveled to Austin twice for procedures (ablation and Watchman) and my wife stayed at home both times. It was pre-COVID but I couldn'by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'd say someone who can't remember to take meds qualifies as someone who shouldn't be taking blood thinners. And I do think we'll see LAA occlusion devices become first line treatment in the near future, at least for people who undergo ablations. The ease, cost savings, and risk reduction of combining a Watchman and an ablation into a single procedure is too attractive to iby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Well, hopefully you will remain in NSR. Other than that there really isn't anything to expect other than any side effects you've noticed going away. You might notice an increased resting heart rate, but as long as it stays under 100 that's not a problem.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
There probably are and we can help you find them, but I think you're going to need to expand your search to Seattle and possibly Portland. To be clear, we're not saying those folks are incompetent. I'm sure they're not. But if you're considering an ablation then you need to be considering only the most experienced, high-volume doctors and centers available. Generally yby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Her meds look pretty typical for someone with CHF, HTN and AF. I doubt they're having a negative effect on her kidney function, but I think the doc was right that she's a bit dehydrated. Dehydration will raise those numbers so that's probably all it is. The doc lowering her dosage of metolazone should correct that. I don't think you've got anything to worry about.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I agree with Gill.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for this. The question of whether afib constitutes a risk factor has been asked multiple times here but we just haven't had a good answer. This is something we can offer from a reliable source.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d I saw this thanksgiving weekend an EP on call at the hospital who told me he only does cryo—even with LAA, AV ablation and CS etc. I specifically asked if he meant only a hybrid ablation for the four veins and RF for the rest but he listed all the areas he ablated with cryo. It doesn’t overheat ones heart and need more saline to cool off the area I’m told. Sounds good until you cby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJuggsy75 It seems it’s not very reliable To say the least.... https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001051by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteKen Okay, here is the question - When should someone in afib go for a CV? There's no simple answer to that, but in general the things an ER would consider are: Rate - Is it very fast, say over 180? That's a rate most ER docs would cardiovert. But that 180 number needs to be adjusted for age and coexisting health issues. For someone in their 80s or with other cardiac issues, 15by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Compared to Anti-Fib and Susan I'm a total cardioversion lightweight. My count is only in the 15-20 range. As for risk, the risk of cardioversion is extremely low, but it's not zero (nothing is). The main risk in cardioversion is human error, and the easiest error to make is the doctor (or paramedic) forgetting to push the SYNC button on the defibrillator. If you don't push thaby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
You might want to ask your EP about wearing a monitor for a week to find out what your afib burden actually is.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Susan, I don't know where you find these people but obtaining an EKG doesn't require skill. You stick the sticky pads on and push a button. That's it.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDavid_L The cardiologist says the ultrasound and stress test he prescribed indicate he needs to do a cardiac catheterization, a.k.a. coronary angiogram, to investigate my heart. He is alarmed at the stress test report. He saw it this afternoon, then he cleared his schedule to see me tomorrow morning. He says he is not certain, but he wants to become certain quickly. So you're keepby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
If you ever find yourself with a heart rate of 20, I recommend that you go with 911.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d How can a paramedic pace externally? Can the His Bundle fail from being ablated/damaged in the course of multiple ablations…or a blocked His Bundle ? By using the same cardiac monitor/defibrillator that ERs use. It records 12 lead EKGs, it defibrillates, it cardioverts, and it paces. There are good reasons for calling 911 rather than having someone drive you to an ER, particularlyby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Having a few beers can't mess up an ablation. It can possibly provoke other sources of afib outside the ablated areas, but it won't do any harm to your existing ablation. How long ago was the ablation?by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM