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Just read this thread and would like to say good luck in resolving your issues Isabelle AND a big thanks to Shannon and everyone else here for this most excellent discussion forum with its helpful support and abundance of good information. Best to all, Mikeby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks Shannon (-: As and when required I'll be looking to either Sabine Ernst or Anthony Chow here in the UK. Not sure of Ernst's stats (yet) but Anthony Chow tells me.... "I have been performing AF ablations for almost 15 years averaging around 120-150 cases a year. My 2 year success rates are around 65-70% for first ablation procedures but higher for multiple attempts. Cby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks fot that colindo - most interesting. Very much (98% this last 20 years) a nocturnal (1am to 7am) afibber myself.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
OK folks just FYI I asked my surgeon and he said no worries on that front as in no problems ablation-groin-access-wise after my upcoming varicose vein (left thigh) procedure.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good to read Ken. Well done and long may your good health continue!by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi folks, I'm shortly due a procedure here in the UK for dealing with an increasingly unsightly and annoying varicose vein wrapped around my left thigh - more specifically 'significant left leg superficial venous reflux disease and varicose veins secondary to sapheno-femoral junction and proximal long saphenous vein incontinence'. This is a familial thing as my father had this issby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for another option to explore Andy - many congrats on your own and your friends' successful outcomes.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Agreed George. Might as well get a consult to seek her thoughts and not least establish something of a relationship now rather than start from cold when my afib burden does at some point increase.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks safib. Presumably this study includes all afibbers. My own take is that almost all of the sample studied would therefore not have been lone afibbers (in so far as that can reasonably apply) and, as such, would have other significant co-morbidity factors that underlie their increased SEE risk. That said, I still take a junior aspirin daily for a number of reasons not just AF-related.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Many thanks George. I think she's the 'go to' here in the uk. The next Q is that with only an hour or two of PAF per year on a not too big a dose (for my 6' 4" 48" chest and 36" waist frame) of Flec, do I go for it now or wait a while longer until the Flec loses efficacy and/or procedures improve further??by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Can't access it. What do they count as very brief? An hour or less??by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Are we still talking Sabine Ernst? (Am I right in thinking she still does ablations on the NHS as well as privately?) Although I have had vagal PAF for almost 20 years, I still - albeit with the help of 75mg Flec twice-daily - only get an hour or two of AF per year. That said, I still do often contemplate an ablation whilst still relatively young at 55. Hence my question: my GP is happy to refby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Shannon, Am I subscribed?? I've subscribed for at least ten years but don't seem to be getting the reports through anymore....am therefore wondering if my subscription has lapsed? I've not received any prompts to resubscribe. Please could you be so kind as to advise? Best regards, Mike Fby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Great info researcher - many thanks. 75mg Flec am and 100mg Flec pm keeps my AF burden down to a few hours per year and has done for 8 years now. No adverse effects whatsoever. Good to know that techniques are improving as I'm sure I'll require an ablation at some point (nocturnal idiopathic PVMAF since 1999 now age 55 - normal echo and no QRS widening on 12 lead ECG). Many thanksby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi George, This last 10 weeks I've dropped 35 pounds (out of target of 54 to take my broad 6' 4" frame back to 200 pounds) by going low carb - essentially lots of veg soup with lean protein. None of my beloved alchohol, crisps and chocolate! I accept and fully recognise that I can never go back to my former ways. What got me started was a bad knee that I decided needed some weightby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for the response McHale. With my present AF burden of one to four hours per year, I'm not unduly concerned about either fibrosis or stroke (I take a junior aspirin per day for its wider benefits anyway) and, as such, am reasonably relaxed about leaving an ablation for another year or two. When the time comes, I'll know it and will be on it! Best regards, Mike Fby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Enrich, Indeed it does. 3 x 1hr episodes all nocturnal all converted to NSR with 200mg Flecainide. And long may it continue (touching wood and everything crossed.....)by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jackie and George, Many thanks for your responses. George, my AF burden was 0.03% last year and thus far for this year is 0.01%. Jackie that material on earthing/grounding is on my reading list! With hindsight I suppose McHale's assertion could be interpreted in two ways. Either that even with good control with AARs the remaining AF is still enough to cause significant risk of stroke andby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
McHale recently commented on another thread: "Waiting too long only leads to stroke and fibrosis even in well controlled patients on AAR's." I responded: "How so? On what basis will 150mg/day of Flec lead to stroke and fibrosis when I only experience a few hours of 85bpm AF per year this last 7 years? (First diagnosed AF 1999.) Please let me have your views."by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
McHale: "Waiting too long only leads to stroke and fibrosis even in well controlled patients on AAR's. How so? On what basis will 150mg/day of Flec lead to stroke and fibrosis when I only experience a few hours of 85bpm AF per year this last 7 years? (First diagnosed AF 1999.) Please let me have your views. Regards, Mike F.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Jackie, Thanks for the response and hope you are well. Had the colonoscopy - no sedative and not even any gas and air....at which the staff were amazed! - and it was all fairly normal except for one 3mm polyp that was removed and that later tested as being benign. That single polyp does, however, mean a colonoscopy for me every five years from now on. The prep is way worse as a hassle than tby mwcf - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
Last couple of months my only 'symptoms' as mentioned as an aside last week to my GP here in the UK have been the odd occasional few days every couple of weeks when 1 normal BM has been followed in next hour by 1 or 2 more smaller looser BMs. No persistent C or D and no other warning flag symptoms such as blood or abdominal pain. I've had a nervous stomach linked to longstanding GAby mwcf - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
Thanks Ken. Good news re your Natale ablation giving you a new lease of life! Regards, Mikeby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
FWIW, my mother started with vagal AF at 33 and didn't go permanent until 70 (now 77 and doing fine with rate control - no ablations). I first had vagal AF at 39 and now at 54 experience vagal AF approx 3 times a year (75mg Flec BID since 2008 - Flec as PiP before that. Still use 200mg to convert - works within 60 minutes or so). Of course my own situation could change any time, but justby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Or more specifically beclometasone diproprionate - a steroid inhaler for my blocked sinuses. Do have any folks here have any views as to whether or not using this spray puts me at a significantly increased risk of PAF episodes? Doesn't seem to be much on line to that effect other than the usual ephemeral/vague minutiae. Thanks in advance, Mike F.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
David, Thanks for that. Agreed best get looked at whilst still paroxysmal. My mother (now 75) started with PAF in her 30s, but didn't go persistent until aged 70 (no ablations), so having started myself at 39 (now almost 54) I hopefully still have a year or two yet to 'play' with. But sooner rather than later for me I think.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
DavidPrice Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi Mike, > Until I see her, I've no reason to doubt she > wasn't overlooking every step of the way, and may > even have taken the reins at some point. I'm sort > of full circle, anyway. I started off by > suggesting to afibbers here that the only way we > ever get more than halfby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Re-reading your posts, I guess the distinction here is that you were assured that Sabine Ernst was performing your procedure because she was supervising it. Maybe as and when referred I'll ask for her assurance that she'll actually be performing the procedure rather than supervising it. In the final analysis I suppose she'll have to perform rather than supervise the procedure if thby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
David, Good to hear all went well. A little disappointing to learn that Despite prior assurances to the contrary that Ernst did not undertake your procedure. I must admit that has rocked my confidence somewhat in heading to Ernst as and when I decide my situation warrants an ablation. Please continue to keep us posted s to your progress and everything crossed for you in that regard. Youby mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM
Wishing you all the very best David and very much looking forward to seeing your full report! Come the time it's Ernst I'll be heading to see too. Also very much hoping for positive progress for you and your good lady wife tomorrow Shannon.by mwcf - AFIBBERS FORUM