Any reason you don't see if another EP like a Dr. Natale couldn't fix you for good? I get each case is unique as is personal choice.
Afib
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Any reason you don't see if another EP like a Dr. Natale couldn't fix you for good? I get each case is unique as is personal choice.
Luvtoride
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My situation is similar to yours but I use Xarelto as the blood thinner. I have persistent, ongoing arrhythmia. My heart beat is always erratic. My bp machine, my Apple Watch, EKG’S always show an erratic rhythm. But I’m asymptomatic and my electophysiologist says available fixes would be riskier than just living with it.
Becca,
Another case like Ron and You bet. I’ve had Afib for over 12 years. I’m asymptomatic and my cardiologist has never tried an ablation or meds to get me into regular rhythm. He says I will always revert back to Afib. I’ve been on blood thinners all this time without any “nasty side effects “ (in fact very few at all). I’m on Xarelto now and the only issue is having to briefly stop these meds when having procedures like tooth extractions and colonoscopy. Every case is different but I’ve lived very well with it.
Every situation is different and I think you need to be patient. I was also told to expect weeks or months of Afib instances after ablation. However, I haven’t had a return of Afib since the day of the procedure well over 3 years ago.
Yesterday DH had a successful cardio conversion....the 2nd one in two weeks. The doctor put him on Amiodarone until he gets his ablation done (which will be in July). I hope he can stay out of afib until then. He is being treated by an EP and taking Eliquis.
All the best to your DH, hopefully he will stay out of Afib until his ablation.
Richard4444
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Qs Laptop: I had my ablation for persistent aFlutter / paroxysmal aFib April 5,2022 (22 days ago).
On April 18, I had 7 hours of aFib (I think it was aFib and not Flutter) and then converted to NSR.
On April 23, I had 2 hours of aFib, then back to NSR.
NSR since, my follow up visit is May 11.
Of course, I'm hoping it's one and done.
Rich
I was and have been generally afib-free since the ablation about five years ago now. I say "generally" because afib does try to kick in for a few seconds at a time, no more than five or eight seconds a few times a day, and then reverts back to normal rhythm. I was told that this was to be expected and don't worry about it so I don't.
However, and this was huge, is I also had the complication of a "pseudo aneurysm" that I was told about 5% of ablation patients get. Lucky me, I won that lottery. It was a new experience in pain and took two trips to the ER to finally get diagnosed, and for a while they were talking about helicoptering me from northern WV to Charlottesville, VA to fix it. I'm lucky to have very good insurance but yikes, that's about a $50,000 ride! I was wondering if my insurance would cover it, and what happens if it didn't. Yeah, I could cover it, but it would sting a lot. Anyway, they ended up taking me by ambulance to Fairfax Inova in Virginia. I was there for a couple of days and then sent home. And between Medicare and insurance it was all covered.
bmcgonig
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This is a really interesting video of a live ablation. For me it’s a fascinating insight into the complex hardware, software and imaging stuff that goes on to accomplish the procedure.
https://youtu.be/yRIJOe5Vbx8
https://youtu.be/yRIJOe5Vbx8
Qs Laptop
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Rich, are you wearing a heart monitor? How do you know you were in Afib and for how long?
I used to know about how long I was in Afib by use of my Kardia device from Alivecore plus how I felt. If I felt a little woozy or otherwise “off” I would take my pulse and could tell it was irregular. I would then do an ekg trace which would state if it was Afib or NSR or something else. I would then periodically do an ekg until I was back in NSR. After my ablation my daughter bought me an Apple Watch which monitors for Afib and also allows me to do a single lead ekg. Can’t say how accurate the watch is as I’ve not been in Afib since the ablation.
Richard4444
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and this is the Doc who did my ablation April 5. I was more than pleased with him!
Rich
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Richard4444
Full time employment: Posting here.
Qs Laptop: I am not wearing any monitoring now. I take my pulse regularly and it is 60-65 all the time except when I believed I was in aFib the 2 occasions that I mentioned. My DGF/SO is a RN and she places a stethoscope on my chest and reports that I am in NSR. She used to always hear the Flutter, aFib and with a stethoscope one can tell NSR.
Rich
We live in the Charlottesville, Va area and DH's EP and treatment are at University of Virginia Medical Center. This experience has definitely reinforced the decision we made to move to an area with excellent health care after we retired 15 years ago. We know many others who retired to locations where they had to travel hundreds of miles to receive the medical treatment they needed. We retired young, late 40s/early 50, and have enjoyed good health, but now I'm 69, DH 75, and the medical issues are beginning.
Scariest thing about being an early retiree as I see it before medicare. Not inflation, 3%, 5% withdrawal rate etc etc, but this. I was fortunate my corporate insurance at time allowed me to cross state lines to find the only guy who could fix me. I was already in a top city University Health systems in a mega city and they failed me. Most ACA plans would have been state based and I do not know what would have happened or where I'd be today.
More you learn about ablation for anything but the most textbook cases of afib which so many are not there is a definite art to it and experience with complex cases matters big time.
This is an area where national coordination and flexibility would save money. My insurance could have flown me to the best guy first class, put me up in the Ritz for a month and saved three failed ablations to the tune of billings of about $100K each and two years of valuable life time.
That's where I went for my ablation. What convinced me to go there was that my cardiologist had HIS ablation done there. Sounded like a pretty good recommendation to me.
Qs Laptop
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Here's an update on my condition. This comes 12 weeks after my cardio ablation (April 8th.)
I've had several office visits including EKG's and other than the one EKG which was taken one week post-op, I've been in normal sinus rhythm.
I am still having random heart rate spikes, 120 bpm - 150 bpm, about 20-25 times per day, according to my smart watch. I have tried exercising using my rower but within 5 minutes my heart rate is over 160 bpm, and I'm not even breaking a sweat. I DO NOT have random heart rate spikes while I sleep. In fact, my heart rate is pretty much rock steady at around 55 bpm during sleep. This steady rate at night, not steady during daytime intrigues my CNP (certified nurse practitioner.) She also thought the amiodarone would control the heart rate spikes much better. At my last appointment I was given the Zio heart rate monitor again and have been wearing it for two weeks now. It's coming off tomorrow.
My CNP also said it looks like I'm a candidate for another ablation procedure. She also said it was past the point in hoping that my heart's scar tissue would heal and the heart rate spikes will stop.
So now what? Do I ask to elevate my case to a different doctor? The electrophysiologist that did my ablation has a sterling reputation in the Minneapolis area, in fact, is the director of cardiac research at the hospital that is the home base for my health care clinics. However, I have been seeing his CNP for all follow ups.
Or should I go elsewhere? Maybe I need a second opinion. I was half-joking when I told my wife I'm going to the Mayo Clinic next.
I've had several office visits including EKG's and other than the one EKG which was taken one week post-op, I've been in normal sinus rhythm.
I am still having random heart rate spikes, 120 bpm - 150 bpm, about 20-25 times per day, according to my smart watch. I have tried exercising using my rower but within 5 minutes my heart rate is over 160 bpm, and I'm not even breaking a sweat. I DO NOT have random heart rate spikes while I sleep. In fact, my heart rate is pretty much rock steady at around 55 bpm during sleep. This steady rate at night, not steady during daytime intrigues my CNP (certified nurse practitioner.) She also thought the amiodarone would control the heart rate spikes much better. At my last appointment I was given the Zio heart rate monitor again and have been wearing it for two weeks now. It's coming off tomorrow.
My CNP also said it looks like I'm a candidate for another ablation procedure. She also said it was past the point in hoping that my heart's scar tissue would heal and the heart rate spikes will stop.
So now what? Do I ask to elevate my case to a different doctor? The electrophysiologist that did my ablation has a sterling reputation in the Minneapolis area, in fact, is the director of cardiac research at the hospital that is the home base for my health care clinics. However, I have been seeing his CNP for all follow ups.
Or should I go elsewhere? Maybe I need a second opinion. I was half-joking when I told my wife I'm going to the Mayo Clinic next.
Souschef
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I can only speak to DW's situation. After a number of electroconversions,
it was decided to install a pacemaker. They also did an ablation to remove the other impulses.
She is on Xanax, a blood thinner to prevent clots. Other that that, she has had no problems. The pacemaker was installed prepandemic. She has a unit in our home that monitors the pacemaker and sends results to her cardiologist.
it was decided to install a pacemaker. They also did an ablation to remove the other impulses.
She is on Xanax, a blood thinner to prevent clots. Other that that, she has had no problems. The pacemaker was installed prepandemic. She has a unit in our home that monitors the pacemaker and sends results to her cardiologist.
Bamaman
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You're right about 120-150 being a little high for post ablation.
But how's your blood pressure? Are you running somewhat stable?
But how's your blood pressure? Are you running somewhat stable?
Qs Laptop
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BP is great, around 110/70.
Qs Laptop
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Can you remember her specific diagnosis?
In my case it was supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). This is also known as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. The SVT ablation procedure is to create scar tissue around the areas of the heart where spurious electrical signals originate which interfere with normal heart rhythm.
As to the blood thinner I think you mean Xarelto, not Xanax. Xanax is for anxiety.
Are your cardiologist and electrophysiologist working together? Mine are.
I'm coming up on one year post ablation and still do follow-ups with both. Last visit, the electrophysiologist caught some PVCs, which are a different type of abnormal heartbeat, nothing to do with the ablation (and it's not bad enough to take action). The heart is really complicated and you only get one, if you don't have confidence in the care you are getting, get a second opinion.
I'm coming up on one year post ablation and still do follow-ups with both. Last visit, the electrophysiologist caught some PVCs, which are a different type of abnormal heartbeat, nothing to do with the ablation (and it's not bad enough to take action). The heart is really complicated and you only get one, if you don't have confidence in the care you are getting, get a second opinion.
bmcgonig
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This guy is supposedly one of the best in the entire world. Takes on difficult cases that other EPs can’t fix. Last time I checked he had over 11000 ablations under his belt. I would definitely consider a second opinion with him.
https://tcainstitute.com/physicians/profile/Andrea-Natale-MD-FACC
There are other top ones as well. It’s always worth a second or even third opinion.
https://tcainstitute.com/physicians/profile/Andrea-Natale-MD-FACC
There are other top ones as well. It’s always worth a second or even third opinion.
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Souschef
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She was diagnosed with AFIB, we did not get further details. You are right, she is on Xarelto, not Xanax.
Koolau
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
My PCP and Cardiologist both said I had Afib - strictly paroxysmal. This went on for years and I took expensive blood thinners for a long time. But they had never actually "seen" my Afiv on an EKG. Finally, I talked my Cardiologist into a 2 week monitor. Guess what? No Afib but rather SVT. Big difference though some overlap in meds and potential treatments. Some can detect Afib by "feel" but SVT is difficult NOT to detect. Without an actual EKG diagnosis it's possible to mix these two conditions. I suppose you could also have both. YMMV
