Quotewolfpack All of this makes me wonder if I should stop my toning routine of 3 sets of 10 bench presses at 160lb twice a week. I didn't think that was an awful lot. Wolfpack, Consider the TRX body weight resistance system both George and I use and the slow to failure with less weight is a good option too, though I would minimize heavy bench or overhead presses of any kind, especially thby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Folks, My friend Mellanie True Hills from StopAfib.org is hosting her annual Patient-Centered AFIB Conference in Dallas Texas from August 4th through 6th. She asked me to share the following link for those of you who might be able to make it, but have not registered yet. Mellanie and her staff puts on an excellent conference as I attended last year and am planning to be there this year aby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Congrats Smackman!! So glad to hear you are doing so well .. as expected ... and that you can get a break on the cost of your NOAC now with the switch to Xeralto! Be well my friend! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hey Don, Was nice talking with you week before last on the LAA Closure issue and I'm glad you found the link to the ISLAA conference I encouragedf you too attend at next years 2018 event in February I believe it is, and that will be in LA this time, right in your neck of the woods. Hope to see you there! The video links from the 2017 ISLAA, which I also attended and that was held in Aby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Spenser, Cryo is mostly used to speed up the PVI process, and/or by those EPs who are not confident in their RF ablation skills. The vast majority of elite level ablationist use RF for good reason! It is far more flexible and allows the operator to seamlesslly move from the PVI ( pulmonary vein isolation ) phase for which Cryo is specifically and solely designed to address, to being able toby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Very well said EC and welcome to the Forum! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Great reports AB and EC! Thank you both for sharing your experiences! And it's a very common refrain for so many of us here who have also benefited immeasurably via Dr Natale's renowned skill and genuine caring for his patients. Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Nice post George, love the graphic of Einthoven's triangle! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Great to hear Gobears! And you are more than welcome, it has been my pleasure. Time flies eh?! Let's touch base soon. Be well, Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
NickC, Please don't dare try that if you, or a loved one you are inquiring about, truly meets the criteria for needing a true blood thinner! Replacing Warfarin or a NOAC with Flax Seed Oil is really rolling the dice ... and we cannot at all advise such a choice! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Welcome NickC, Many people have had successful ablations even into their early 90s, but the decision and recommendation depends on the patient's overall health status and the nature of any co-morbidities and other such issues that might impact the joint decision between EP and patient who is in their upper 80s range. It is best to see a highly experienced ablationist who has done manyby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Mac, I got your PM a short time ago and replied to you in kind, and so please read my PM reply too for next step. And while, typically, you cannot determine whether or not an index ablation is successful after just one week post ablation, in light of your persistent AFIB and enlarged LA, there is a good chance your procedure at Cedars Sinai was more limited than the more advanced procedureby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Shannon [ PM ] Dr Vivek Reddy: In Defense of LAA closure (Rebuttal of Dr Mandrola's comments and opinion on Watchman)-Medscape December 01, 2016 02:30AM Admin IP/Host: 47-215-236-94.sdoncmtk01.res.dyn.suddenlink.net Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 2,295 In Defense of Left Atrial Appendage Closure - Dr. Vivek Reddy (The above link, allows access to the article discussed below: In Deby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Josiah, Regarding Armour Thyroid, you are correct it is very common for desiccated porcine thyroid such as Armour Thyroid, Natur-throid, ERFA thyroid and a few others that have almost identical levels of the two main thyroid hormones T3 and T4 as well as trace amount of T2 etc, and including various fillers that can differ per brand ... and that produce serum lab results showing a very lowby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Jackie, It's bed time now for us so will try to get back to you in the next couple days with answers for your questions above. Be well, Shannon Sorry Jackie for the delay in getting back to your and now others understandably wanting to know more about Watchman and LAA Closure in general. Alas Magdalena are on the last days of a sort vacation for the two of us right now andby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Great to hear from you again Alangford! And it's super to hear you are doing as well as I expected you would! The thing with alcohol in afibbers (see recent Alcohol and AFIB thread), especially those who found it to be a trigger prior to ablation, is that their ability to imbibe after a successful post ablation is also variable. Many can have a beer or two or a glass of wine or two pby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Barb, As we have discussed several times on the phone this week, it is possible that you do have a degree of diastolic dysfunction and can rest assured that whatever degree of diastolic dysfunction you might now have is not related to your two prior AFIB ablations ... i.e. your index ablation with Dr Natale in September of 2013 and your follow-up more limited touch-up ablation with him in Jby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Just exactly what I would do in your shoes redalia ... that is if I already had not done essentially the same thing! I too required LAA isolation to end all my long history of arrhythmia and then I had too low of an LAA mechanical function at the 6th month follow up TEE after my LAA Iso, so I opted for the LARIAT LAA Ligation procedure that both confirms that the electrical isolation of LAA rby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Don and redalfa1961, It is not that hard to get most insurance to pay for Watchmen at leading top volume centers when ChadsVASc is >/= 2.0 but of course at this time neither your nor redalfa1961 technically qualify for the Watchman based on the stroke risk score. Great effort is being made to push the recognition of LAA isolation as equal to 2 points on the ChadsVasc score but may be a whiby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes Catherine, You can have AFIB .. and irregular HR with variable R to R wave spacing and with suppressed P-wave at 50-bpm and in that neighborhood. I had it in the form of a drug-induced Tachy-Brady syndrome back in 2002, shortly before I was prescribed a dual chamber pacemaker. My well-meaning original Cardiologist who should have at the time. and long ago referred me to an EP, had keptby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gary, Steve , Anti-Fib and Larry, It is critical here to understand the context in which Gary is asking about when, and if, to start on Eliquis in his current situation, leading up to an AFIB ablation Gary is a little over two months out from his index ablation with Dr. Natale and has been asked to start the Eliquis by his nurse practitioner under Dr Natale's approval. Case closed!by Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Larry. Short answer there are currently no recommended follow up tests for NOACs other than the standard kidney and/or liver panels (depending on which NOAC) to test periodically but only for those with known kidney or liver dysfunction. The usual remedy in the case of such a kidney impairment is a halving of the dose of said NOAC. If either the kidney or liver dysfunction is too severe theby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sounds great Glen, you would be surprised how often we see that reconnected basic PVI lesion set and I'm very happy for you that this time may well be the charm! Best wishes and keep us posted. Also it's a very good idea to continue on with any good healthy habits you may have developed during your search for a solution and include ongoing electrolyte repletion as noted in the Strateby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Anton, My guess is that this current break after the ECV is relatively temporary but as Jackie said it certainly wont hurt to wait until that proves to be true and you trigger again into Flutter. Besides, the vast majority of us will naturally have a hard time doing an ablation when we are in NSR as it is. Especially in a case like yours where you have been in such long term NSR of overby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi George, Your initial post of this thread quoting Dr Backx, it word for word from Dr Stanley Nattel who is a leading EP/AFIB fundamental biochemical./biophysical researcher at University of Montreal. He and others like him are really pressing the state of the art in our understanding of the underpinning of AFIB genesis. He mentions that the PKA hyper-phosphorylation of the Cardiac RyR2 (by Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks Jackie, And yes indeed, your experience is a big reason I do recommend getting the followup ablation for a person like Tony who is in otherwise good shape and has had 13 years of Blessed NSR from his first Natale ablation. The typical Cardio and most clinical EPs mind set who are not at the elite level of ablation researchers and nor do most of these well-meaning folks have a lot ofby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gmperf and Anton, I need to correct a few points about LAA isolation, Watchman and stroke risk from above to help clarify the issue and keep the emphasis here in the right perspective. Anton, so long as a person is in persistent AFIB/ Flutter or even almost persistent-like paroxysmal AFIB the LAA will have impaired mechanical function, not unlike what can result after LAA isolation needed tby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Catherine, Sorry for the delay in response, Im in Chicago and the HRS 2017 conference that just ended yesterday. The procedure is likely a 'Peri-cardiocentesis' which is a way to drain the effusion fluid that has built up in the pericardial lining of the heart. It is very often performed subsequent to cardiovascular surgery when there is either a cardiac tamponade or a pericarby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tony, Nice talking with you again today, Thanks for the EKGs too, though it is not a complete 12 lead. The PACs are a residual of the underlying flutter circuit that caused the recurrence of arrhythmia 13 years after your very successful index ABL with Dr. Natale. This pattern is a classic very late recurrence after 10 plus years of a stable heart after an early years a the successful Natale Pby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Que, Yes I saw the official presentation of the Apple Watch AFIB detector algorithm at the HRS 2017 (Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Sessions conference this week in Chicago that just ended today. It will come in handy as a real time detector. Also Alivecor announced their new KARDIA PRO which is a more sophisticated KARDIA app for doctors and caregivers so that patients with an Alivecorby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM