Hey Shannon, I have every report from my stress tests, blood work,, sleep test, CT Scan, X-Ray's basically every medical record I can think of going back at least 15 years. It's good practice to compare say your Lipid Panels or Ac1 tests etc from years ago with the present results. I just didn't think of getting a copy of yesterdays EKG. I got my MRI of my brain and MRA of head anby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dr Reddy old me yesterday the segmental contiguous PVI takes 4-6 hours for paroxysmal and I asked if he rechecks conduction. Yes he uses adenosine to reveal any transient reconduction of the PV veins again 30 mins after ablation. He was pretty surprised I knew this stuff. I'd be really surprised if time was less than 3-4 total.by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom, I'm wondering if he had to burn more due to your permanent AFIB that caused more inflammation? What could he have given you for inflammation? Did you ever take Flec? It should always be taken with a Beta Blocker because of 1:1 conduction and can also be pro arrhythmic. How long was your procedure? Yes the nurse who gave me my tutorial told me Tachy can happen as we'll as a clotby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hey Shannon, I'm probably going to cancel Dr Chinitz as my insurance won't cover 2 consultation and 2 EKGs. I already had another one 3 months ago so who knows if they cover yesterday's. Dr Reddy is top notch so why cloud my thinking even more..... Thoughts?by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hey Tom , Sorry to hear that but did they tell you that could happen? I wouldn't say its a bad omen did you take a Beta blocker to slow your rate up. How was your experience otherwise?by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Shannon, I fully understand and respect what you're trying to say this is so hard to see thru the muddied waters. I don't want to get sidetracked Dr Reddy is an excellent EP and I should bite the bullet and do it. I was in a frenzy yesterday trying to get there on time with all the bridge traffic and construction even though I'm 3 miles away My blood pressure was high but cby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Shannon, Dr Reddy and Steinberg Cornell-Columbia New York are new to FIRM so they might not be the up to speed yet with some other docs using FIRM. I wouldn't count out FIRM just yet its more advanced than you might think............more info to come soon.by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Okay consulted with Dr Reddy hes done well over 1000 AFIB ablations he just doesn't keep track anymore. His nurse told be its a couple of thousand by now.He has his own lab and doesn't share time with any other EP's according to his nurse. He does about 2 a day 8 a week. He does Cyro but is not crazy about it doesn't feel it's durable. He's also doing laser balloon dby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Shannon, I'm not going in there with hopes that this is the cure all for all afib. I actually have another appointment with Dr Chinitz tomorrow too. No and I will not tell him it's FIRM or nothing else. I will listen to what he has to offer and I will grill him on his Techniques and how he does a PVI. and whether a hybrid approach would be better. As far a the laser balloon and Stereoby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Namor, I'm on a roll sure and I hope to bring good news. Finally we know the mechanism of AFIB much better than before thanks to FIRM and Dr Narayan and colleagues.by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
My take on PVI is you fence off the triggers at the 4 pulmonary veins to keep the beast inside the atria from triggering. What FIRM does it slays the beast so they no longer exist which are actually the rotors/pulses. A poor correlation between CFAEs and rotors means human AF may be sustained by localized sources in the form of either electrical rotors or focal impulses not CFAEs. Complex fractioby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
How ironic just got a call from Dr Reddy's Office cancellation tomorrow so I took the slotby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Wouldn't it be something if FIRM pans out and no amount of former triggers could induce AFIB because the elusive rotors were never properly ablated? Hopefully statements like this no longer be valid: Even if the pathological, electrical and physiological phenomena leading to AF have been described in ever more detail, the mechanisms underlying these changes remain largely unknown. The reby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
I've been erratic all week so I threw caution to the wind yesterday and had two 16oz Pilsners. Now in sweet NSR again go figure!by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hey Namor, I sure will pick his brain. I'm actually hoping he will accept me for a FIRM ablation without a PVI but let's see what he has to say. He did tell me in his email he does both; we do both/ either depending on the clinical scenario (paroxysmal vs persistent, duration of AF, co-morbidites, Drug use, heart size, etc). I'm cautiously optimistic...... Is this the same stby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Namor, Did I catch that they are using Cryo instead of RF for FIRM? This would make this ablation much safer too.by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Fantastic news!! I have a consultation with Dr Reddy at Mt ,Sinai Oct 31 who's center Is involved in the FIRM study. He emailed in July that he is indeed doing FIRM. I'm elated but is this a case of too good to be true........ And it also important to remember that Narayan's work was supported by the Bordeaux Group, as Pierre Jais is on the science advisory board of Topera Medicalby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
For all my fellow affibers were you told the amount of Fibrosis that has build up and how successful your procedure will be? Are ME-MRI imaging done prior to your ablations? Or can EP's tell once in there with the caths how much is present? McHaleby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Shannon, I'm seeing Dr Chintiz at NYU Thursday and Dr Reddy Mt Sinai on Halloween. What mapping systems are critical that they have and is ICE imaging the way to confirm placement of the burns? I saw a video where Dr Reddy was demonstrating laser ablation in Czech Republic using ICE imaging to get a more precise view in hard to see areas. Just click on the upper left hand image of thby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom, They'll actually get about 40K tops for the EP Anesthesiologist and hospital and Lab catheters etc.....Bill high and get what you can is the game that is played.......by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Where is the rash and can you describe it?by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom, My mom just got shingles last week as did my EX very painful and the sores take weeks to heal. Not a pretty sight and painful and the Valtrex 3-4X a day for a week.by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
This could be a game changer if they could come up with a reversal agent; but twice a day dosing and less bleeds might somewhat negate thisby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barry, How do you define heart disease? Many here are lone affibers from what I deduce....... I have no heart disease or valve problems my heart is like a GE90 jet engine when in NSR according to my last stress test in May.....by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tom you're right for the most part. This morning my blood pressure monitor gave me irregular pulse icon with both my readings which were on the low side 108/77 and 112/75 but my pulse feels normal I think........low readings are usually a sign of AFIB. What a dilemma ........by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gay, You are right. Silent AFIB is not silent and we all know it those of us with experience and a history of this affliction. I know exactly when I'm in NSR and when I'm getting irregular heartbeats. I know all too well things were progressing to weekly events. And in hindsight i should have been anticoagulanted.by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Congrats Excellent you deserve the good news Tom!by McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hey Tom, Who's doing your ablation inquiring minds want to know.......... Anyway you bet my TIA was afib related since there could be no other explanation for the following reasons: They also did a MRA on head and neck to rule out just that.`No measurable stenosis seen in caritoid arteries or posterior cerebral and superior arteries etc..... My last stress test in May was excellent withby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
Just as a precaution about CHADS2DS2 and a false sense of security. If you are having long episodes or more frequent episodes I would want to protect myself. I was a CHADS 0 Too but my events got longer or more frequent and I ended up with a mini-stroke. I also had 2 prior ones that showed up on a MRI which I knew nothing about. Having a CHADS 0 does not mean you won't have a TIA if you areby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM