Good stuff Barry and a good read as always! Great to hear you're doing well. If one of the worst 10 cases Pierre Jais had encountered when he already had 4500 AF ablations under his belt there's hope for us all if you can come out of the ablation process AF-free! Long may it continue (-: Best, Mike F.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sam, A few observations. Pierre Jais would definitely look for and deal with any other irritable areas in the atria as well as in the PVs as part of any first procedure. Moreover, and to the best of my knowledge, at Bordeaux they keep you and monitor you for 3 or 4 days after the procedure with any touch-up being required in that timeframe being included in the cost of the initial first proby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
OK tsco agreed there's no 100% 'straightforward with AF', but my point was that the odds are good (as in 80% or a bit better - with one or two procedures) that with fairly recent paroxysmal AF like Cindy's a good high volume centre will be able to sort this out for her. Any procedure/s should also be more relatively straightforward the sooner she takes the ablation route ratheby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Sam, I'll be meeting with Sabine Ernst for a private consult in 12 days time and will keep you posted as to costs. With Prof. Schilling it seems to be firmly around the £14-15K mark all in including hospital fees, Prof. Schilling's fees and anaesthetist's fees. I presume any and all other tests (ECGs, TEE etc.) will be extra. On the London AF Centre website, Prof. Schilliby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for the additional info Cindy. It sounds like your AF is definitely paroxysmal (episodic) and, as such, should be a fairly straightforward matter for a high volume ablation centre to sort out for you (-: Mike F.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Cindy, When you say 3 VERY long AF episodes, what do you mean by very long? How far apart were they? Did they resolve/convert on their own or were you cardioverted? In which country do you live? Who did your flutter ablation? So far as I'm aware, it's usually an AF ablation that can precipitate AFL rather than the other way around but we're all different I guess.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks wolfpack. Shannon tells me Natale would be circa $40K (£30K) were I to come to the US on an obviously none-insurance basis. My present thinking is that IF I can get Ernst - definitely right up there with the best EPs in the world - herself doing the procedure funded by the NHS here in the UK, then that's an excellent not to say very financially attractive option. That said, itby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
RR, Sorry to hear of your latest issues but that said surely you’re still in the 3 to 6 month blanking (healing) period following an ablation (whether cryo or RF) during which almost all folks will experience some episodes caused by the sheer stress and irritation of the procedure. Give it another 3 months to settle and maybe it will all come good for you. Cheers, Mikeby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Not sure about that Catherine, but vagus-wise take a look at Porges Polyvagal Theory on YouTube:by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi again Gill, I checked with Prof. Jais today (!) and he confirms that I definitely have to get the TEE done before travelling to Bordeaux so that particular dilemma remains. I’ll be looking very closely at the self-funded/private option with Prof. Schilling next week and will keep you up to speed! I hadn’t previously picked up that you’d been in LTPAF for 18 months prior to your ablation,by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks again Gill. Yes I appreciate that the TOE isn't to see if I'm AF. I'd know about that! Plus being in AF for the procedure would, if anything, be an advantage rather than a disadvantage from the EP's viewpoint.IIRC they're looking/checking for any clot in the LAA. Interesting - and in contrast to what they've told me via email (and as per their latest patby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'm still agonising about where to go for an ablation. I've had various email correspondence with Bordeaux (both admin and Prof. Jais himself) and they have been most helpful and courteous. Bordeaux is obviously absolutely right up there at the top of the list. If I were a French national living in France OR resident in a country lacking any top tier EPs and having enough money to pay pby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you Gill - very kind of you and if I definitely decide to go to Bordeaux then I will get in touch via PM. Thank you too Barry - that sounds like a proper nightmare you've had so really glad you've pulled through! I was wondering how many ablations Prof. Jais has done by now and it must be quite a few if he'd already done 4000 by 2010!! By your own standards I suppose Iby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gill, Point taken re the Flecainide! I've always wanted to be off the stuff anyway, but not so abruptly and far from home is all - I hate taking the stuff in principle but that doesn't mean that I haven't come to regard it as something of a comfort blanket! I was referred by my GP rather than cardio consultant. My consultant EP here in the UK will, I think, have his nose put a bby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
A couple of things concerning me.... 1. Bordeaux tell me I need to stop Flecainide 5 day’s pre-ablation. I’ve been on the stuff for 10 years and stopping it for 5 days is especially scary giving I’ll be travelling to Bordeaux on my own from the U.K.! I appreciate that they need to be able to readily trigger AF/AFL or whatever, but 5 days? Is this usual? 2. I recently had a varicose vein (fby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
OK so old news, but the thing is, would this only be of benefit if one was an adrenergic AFr? EDIT: OK yes that was a grossly over-simplified rather silly question! Tell you what; why don't I just ask her to elaborate when I see her in two weeks time and then let you all know!by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Wow. Many thanks Shannon. I think! Unfortunately Natale or one of protégés isn’t an option for me....... Bordeaux is pretty much as good as it’s going to get..... I’m guessing that they’re not (yet, at least) using the ‘gliding catheter’ method to avoid reconnection at Bordeaux.... I’ll ask and see. From the timbre of your post I’m guessing that they do not. Here’s hoping that if I go I’ll be inby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gill, Thanks for your post/s. My understanding from my conversation today with Stephanie at Bordeaux is that any touch-up/attention within the few days after -procedure stay at the hospital is included in the cost of the first procedure. That’s a big plus over going private in the U.K., but that said any second procedure after a month or two and one would be paying the full amount again just aby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Sam, It was circa £15K overall if I recall correctly. You can check for yourself by phoning her PA 9am to 1pm weekdays on 07545-608970. Please do let me/us know what they quote you price-wise. I was also quoted £15K for Prof Richard Schilling at the London AF Centre at London Bridge private hospital - this being made up of £11.5K hospital fees and the other £3.5K for Schilling (£2.5K) anby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'm just wondering whether folks here who've had a successful procedure at Bordeaux required just the one procedure or a touch-up/second procedure also? Shannon, do you have any info in this regard please? Thanks, Mike Fby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks guys - much appreciated. Have been doing some more reading + found an info document from Bordeaux that I was sent 5 years ago - I've just emailed them for an up to date copy. I guess if former afibbers forum founder/moderator Hans went to Bordeaux for his ablation... that just about says it all. Is Hans keeping OK these days? If I recall correctly, Pat Chambers (PC here on thisby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Many thanks George. Best, Mike EDIT: Just spoke to Stephanie at Bordeaux - very nice but struggled to understand my Yorkshire accent!! She is sending me a questionnaire and up-to-date info form. Current all-in cost including 5 day hospital stay is E16564 (£14.4K at todays ER) so around the same as here in the UK if going privately/self-funded with Ernst or Schilling. From where I'by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi all, With two episodes in a week (with only a couple per year for the last 19 years), I’m thinking that the daily 100 BID Flecainide (last 10 years and PiP before that for a couple of years) is likely losing its efficacy. My heart has felt twitcher in general for the last 4 months. Hence an ablation beckons. My choices are: 1. EP in Leeds (80 miles from me) who has been doing 4by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi all, Can anyone here please provide me with a contact email address for Bordeaux? Thank you, Mike Fby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Many thanks for all of that Carey - most helpful, all noted and much appreciated. (Apologies to you and all here for not noticing my attachment faux pas....really must preview before posting!) Regards, Mikeby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi all, I've noticed recently that my AF is becoming increasingly associated with some other SVT (which here I'll just call SVT) - either AFlutter or focal atrial tachy of some kind. My last episode started as AFib for 20 seconds or so, then switched (when I stood up) to some form of SVT at a regular beat of 80-90 BPM for an hour, then reverted (after I lay down) to AFib for 3 houby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
bisoprolol when his HR was 25 bpm on admission??!!by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
and Just for info.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you for the additional info George - fascinating about the light. Just tucking into a midday bowl of steamed veggies with pecan nuts and CP virgin OO - and I'm eating it in my office which has a south facing full wall window to the side with the sun streaming in!! I'm definitely going to work up to one meal per day for at least the 5 weekdays - likely later in the day like youby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
George, Many thanks for all of that good info - MUCH appreciated. Fascinating about the 3 fuel tanks! I don't know about the student becoming the master, but if I can get half way form where I am now to you, I would be very pleased! I'll keep at it as you advise George. I do have quite a social life so even getting half-way to where you are will be a helluva challenge, but it isby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM