Barry When do you go to Bordeaux? I think it is quite soon. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Despite being in nsr for over 7 years post ablations in Bordeaux, I still read the postings nearly every day, and subsribe to the AF report to support Hans's work. If AF ever re-appears I know that I will have up-to-date information, and the best advice available. If I had found the board before my ablations it would have saved me months of research. Very grateful to Hans, Jackie, Erling,by Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Chris 2 comments which I hope you might find relevant:- 1. Three days after my ablation in Bordeaux Afib started again and I had a second ablation. Prof. Haissaguerre said that there was a 50 -50 chance it would have stopped by itself but because I had travelled so far they did the second one right away. 2. An EP in London told me that ablation may not prevent Afib from starting, but it shoby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike One of the best things for me about having the ablation is that I no longer have to sit out some dives waiting for the AF to stop, which happened many times before it became persistent - I never dived with AF, and happily it never started while I was underwater. Just before I went to Bordeaux I booked us onto a liveaboard trip 4 months later - seemed like an act of faith at the time but Iby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike After the ablation and touch up I had a few ectopics, 35 on a 24hr Holter. Every year since then the number has increased - in 2008 it was up to almost 8000. But in November 2009 it was down to 1500 or thereabouts and my EP said that the number will vary from day to day. At one stage they were so uncomfortable (frequent thumps as though I was being hit in the chest with a big hammer) thaby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
After many years of paroxysmal AF and 18 months of persistent AF I had an ablation and touch-up in Bordeaux in January 2003. Since then I have been in nsr. I just got the results of my latest routine echocardiogram. I would be interested to hear comments from anyone who knows more about the significance of the findings than I do. I was particularly pleased that the left atrium has returned toby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
George In my opinion Bordeaux is one of the top two places in the world for ablations. The breakthrough research that discovered that most problems originate around the pulmonary veins was done there by Prof. Haissaguerre. Your chances of success are higher there than most other places. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jackie For my ablations in Bordeaux I had conscious sedation most of the time, and at other times I was completely out. I felt a burn at one stage and said 'ouch' whereupon the nurse said 'We've almost finished this bit, can you bear it' and I said that I could. It was over quickly and that's the only pain I felt. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Barry I've started a new thread here because we are getting off the original topic and the thread was getting very long. I was fascinated to read about your ablation with Dr Hocini - I have seen her name on many of the research papers published by the Bordeaux team over a long period but didn't know that she a) was female and b) perfected the roof line. The report that Prof. H. seby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barbara Have a look at the thread below, subject 'Question for Jackie: mapping technology' and read Barry's posts towards the end of the thread. Then you could use the search function to find more posts by Barry who is having difficulties despite ablations in Bordeaux by one of the best teams in the world. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had ablation and touch up in Bordeaux in January 2003 and have been in nsr since then but I get many ectopics which used to make me very uncomfortable. Supplementing with the 'big three' means that I hardly feel the ectopics even though they still happen. I currently take 4 x 250mg tablets of Country Life brand chelated magnesium per day (as well as potassium and taurine). If I staby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barb I didn't discover this board until some time after my successful ablation in Bordeaux 7 years ago. If I had found it sooner it would have saved me many many hours of research. I hang around because I like to keep up to date with the latest developments just in case my afib ever returns. There are some very clever and well-informed people here, and the A-fib Report includes reliableby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Glen I am surprised that you say that Bordeaux is a 'private French company'. It is one of the hospitals making up the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux - I though that meant it is a University hospital whose main interest is in research, not in making money. Gill (one of the Bordeaux alumni)by Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Steve and Greg Since my ablation in Bordeaux almost 7 years ago I have had no afib but bigeminy, trigeminy and many ectopics which have increased in number every year (35 in 24 hours after the ablation, 8000 in 24 hours in November 2008). At one point the kicks in the chest were so uncomfortable that I was considering going back to Bordeaux to see if they could fix the problem. I then startedby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Researcher >>For the same price you may be able to get Jais or Haissaguerre and I would pick the latter given the choice.<< I would bet money on Bordeaux being cheaper by a long way. My first consultation with Prof. Haissaguerre in September 2002 cost me 36 Euros. When I needed a TOE (TEE) I made enquiries at the London Bridge AF Centre and it was cheaper to go to Bordeaux to haveby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
John I don't see the offer of an ablation as 'a gift horse'. I suspect some gung-ho young EP wants to do as many as possible to increase his score. It is early days in your AF journey - don't be rushed into making a decision. When I went to Bordeaux the total cost was about £8,000 including fares and hotels. I consider it the best money I ever spent because it gave me my life back. It's nowby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
John I had a successful ablation in Bordeaux almost seven years ago after many years of paroxysmal, and 18 months of persistent AF. AT that time almost no EPs in UK were doing them but the Bordeaux team invented the procedure and had done thousands. I would be very wary if I were in your situation. Firstly, your episodes are infrequent - ablations become more difficult once the AF is persisteby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike Re UK EPs matching Bordeaux prices - in 2002 when I needed just a TOE (TEE in the US) it was cheaper for me to make a trip to Bordeaux, even including the airfare and one night in a hotel, than to have it done at the London Bridge Hospital. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Charles I had a successful ablation and touch-up in January 2003 in Bordeaux, having been in afib without a break for 18 months. Yes, it is possible, but much more difficult to fix so you need to go to the best EP you can find. Hans's surveys in the afib report has information on this. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Belinda The ablation was done in the morning and I was a bit groggy for the rest of that day, but from day 2 onwards I felt great, completely back to my normal energetic self. Unfortunately AF recurred after 3 days - not unexpected with persistent AF - but they did an immediate second procedure and everything has been wonderful since then. Not everyone recovers so quickly but for me it was insby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Belinda I lived with paroxysmal afib for many years, highly symptomatic while it was happening, then full of energy as soon as it stopped. But gradually the attacks happened more and more often and lasted longer. When I was in AF three times a week, for up to 48 hours each time, I had had enough. Tried medication, tried cardioversions, nothing worked. At that point I went for the ablation.by Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
John In the 6½ years since my (successful) ablation and touch-up in Bordeaux the number of PACs shown on a 24 hour Holter has increased every year. The score in October 2008 was over 8,000. Professor Haissaguerre says not to worry about them, but they were very uncomfortable - felt as though someone was thumping me on the chest with each one. I started taking magnesium, potassium and taurineby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike When I had my ablation in January 2003 there were only two EPs doing them in UK and they had just started doing an occasional one as an experiment. So I went to Bordeaux where they were doing 10 a week and paid for it myself - best money I ever spent. A lot of people now get ablations on the NHS but I don't know a) how long they have to wait and b) whether they can choose their EP.by Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Kevin Prof. Haissaguerre in Bordeaux told me, afer my ablation in 2003, that if AF should ever recur I should take Bisoprolol. He said 'It is like a shield for the heart'. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike I read somewhere that EPs in the UK have high success rates because they treat only paroxysmal AF and not permanent AF, which is much more difficult. This would make a straight comparison between their success rates and Bordeaux's less than fair, since Bordeaux take on very difficult cases. I also wonder how prices compare if you don't have insurance. I paid for my ablation andby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barry After my ablation Prof. Haissaguerre said 'We have done everything it is possible to do' which meant, I think, all the lines that were known to work at that time. This was because my afib was by then persistent, ie 24/7. So I think I must have had what they now identify as all 5 stages. When afib recurred after three days I was in despair thinking that nothing else could be doby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Barry I almost gringed as well when I read 'She almost gringed when she thinks back what they use to do 5 years ago' because I had my ablation (and touch-up three days later) for permanent AF in Bordeaux in January 2003. They must have known what they were doing though, because I've been in NSR now for 6½ years. I get loads of ectopic beats but if I take the big three supplements I hardly feelby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lou I am so sorry that this has happened, and I also find it a worry, since I am now in my 7th year of nsr after my ablations in Bordeaux. I have a few thoughts.... 1 I was under the impression that if an ablation was successful triggers should not be able cause afib. 2 I was told by an EP in London that even if afib were to start, the ablation scars should make it impossible for it to perpby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jeff I have been in sinus rhythm since my ablations in Bordeaux in January 2003. That's 6 years and 4 months. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Bill I had intermittent AF for many years, started off lasting a few seconds, progressed to hours then days, finally became full time. After 18 months of this I opted for ablation in Bordeaux. AF recurred after 3 days and I was in despair, but immediately had a second ablation. I have been in normal rhythm for over 6 years now, am back to exercising (moderately) and scuba diving. For me theby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM