some questions about ablation...

[sylviayasgur]

hi all!
joey is finally coming off the amiodarone altogether by january.
each time he reduces his dose to almost nothing, he seems to go into afib.
he met with his cardio yesterday and asked him about ablation.
his doc seemed to think this might be worth looking into IF he is a candidate.
he recommended three doctors at montefiore medical center in ny: john fisher, soo kim, and kevin ferrick.

1. has anyone ever heard of any of these doctors?
2. can anyone (cort, dara, rich ?) explain the procedure to me? also, i have heard about cryoablation. is this similar?
is it painful? do they sedate you? is it like a cath? is it done by an electrophysiologist or just any cardiothoracic surgeon?
3. how effective is this procedure supposed to be? how are you, who have been through it, feeling today?
cort, how is your leg_ all better?

any info and/ or help in this area would be sooo appreciated.
thanks all for your help and support.
-sylvia

 

[medtronic of borg]

drs

drs

Kim is nationaly known and highly respected.

 

[Guest]

Hey Sylvia & Joey!

Let's see....

First...

*raises eyebrow*

What does the dr mean "IF" Joey is a candidate? Did the dr give you criteria for determining the "IF" part of this?

*lowers eyebrow*

*reviews questions posed*

I can't answer # 1...

I can answer parts of #2....

a - Basically, they stick a tube/wires up your groin vein to get to the heart, where they then "zap" the areas of the heart that are not beating regularly.....that is it, iirc, in a nutshell....

b - not sure about cryoblation...

c - the ablation itself is not painful (at least, it wasn't for me...I was "out" for it....he he he)

d - sedation is optional. I know someone who had an angiogram done....he stayed awake for the entire procedure and told me that he actually enjoyed it because it was interesting "seeing" the inside of his heart. Me, I wanted to be sleeping during the ablation so it would go by quickly .

I can answer question #3...

a - Can't remember the precentages I was quoted, but the effectiveness is quite high....It worked perfectly for me . [yeah yeah, I know...I haven't given ya'll an update since my Nov 6 appt....]

b - Feeling better than I did a few months ago .

c - My leg is much better...I'm able to walk perfectly now . And, from what my dr says, I'm "good to go" (if you catch the drift)...I just don't have anyone to, ahem, do that with . LOL!

Good luck, Joey....hope this helps.

Peace...Always,
Cort S, pig's valve & pacemaker-enhanced 30/swm
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[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Sylvia,


Know how it feels to have so many questions to turn over. Our men just don't think of it all Sometimes...I believe it may be easier that way!

Sorry I cannot be of much assistance in answering your questions.

Have been on Inderdal (Beta Blocker) to control Migraines. In turn they controlled the PAC's (premature atrial contractions) which comes from the same chamber of the heart as A-Fib...but not as rapid and really more pesky than life-threatenting.

Tried to come off of the beta blocker and the PAC's returned. Could not handle the way I felt when my heart was fluttering. More nervous than anything. Physically able to function just fine. So here I am on the Inderal. Rarley have a palpation.

Cryo is generally freezing. Would be interested to find out more about the technique you mentioned. Have never heard of it for the heart.

I am sure you will exhaust all of your options.

Thinking of you. Please give our best to Joey. He will be fine. Just think of it as a mini "tune up"

Take good care and keep us posted

 

[Marty]

ablation?

ablation?

Sylvia, I looked into this when it was offered to my son ,who has "lone" atrial fibrillation ,by doctors at the University of Vermont. I found out that PVI ( pulmonary vein isolation) is a risky unproven procedure. My electrophysiologists down here at Inova Fairfax said it could convert a treatable condition afib into an untreatable condition- pulmonary vein stenosis. Any how, we canceled my son's scheduled PVI and changed his medication a bit and he has now been afib free for months and feels great.
So get a second and even a third opinion before you go in for pulmonary vein ablation. By the way it is done with heat, radiofrequency not freezing at Vermont.

 

[hhardt]

There are a lot of sites that give good data. My sister had it after having bad tacardia problems and is doing everything now with no problems. Swims, treadmill, choir, etc. She originally could not go to the grocery store without going over 150 bpm. She did not require a pacemaker but was told (as is everyone) that one may be required. Some sites you might try:

http://www.webmd.com/ and type ablation in the search.

http://www.naspe-patients.org/patients/pdf_files/Ablation.pdf

http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/1998/01_98/kosinski.htm

http://www.cyber-nurse.com/veetac/ablation.htm

http://www.aetna.com/cpb/data/CPBA0165.html

She was back to good after the leg healed (3 days for her)

 

[tiggerangelgirl]

the queen of ablations

the queen of ablations

I will defiently be able to tell you just about everything there is to know.now first some of this might sound scary and although my first 5 outcomes were not good i have seen many who this has been thier cure.
an ablation is like a heart catherazation except they use one side,you are mildly sedated and believe me not enough,the cathater which comes in different sizes is inserted through your grain up into your heart on the end of this is a hot wire which burn places in your heart where the drs might think its coming from,up until that point it does not hurt but when the start the radio frequecy ablations its not cool,you defiently feel this tremendous pressure like a elephant is on your chest and you can feel the burn,these presedured take a long time because the drs are also provoking your heart to see where the rythems come from my average ablation lasted 8hrs but the dr said he never had done them that long before{3 times w/me}
after the ablation you have to lie flat for a few hrs and then you can get up the most hard part is the actuall ablating after that its not a big deal,now your heart and layers around it swell up and it is very painfull and your pericardiem will be inflammed and that is what causes the pain and fevers.I had my first dr which is an EP specialist electraphisology which deals with only the electrical part of the heart. my ablations results only lasted weeks at a time once the swelling was down my fast rythems came back,finnally on the fith try i was sent to Duke University and had my last ablation,i found out that i had more than 25 places that was causing many different arrythmias so that was why i wasnt respondind to med.well they completly ablatd my own natural pacemaker{sa& av i think }and then i had complete hearblock no heartbeat at all and an external pacemaker was installed until i got my internal.I know this is long but i expierenced this alot and am very familiar with it there is one thing you need to do is "Ask your dr how many diaphramic nerves had he injured doing ablations" I tell you why my dr made me sign a consent form you know stated all the risk and he added one in with pencil "possible diaphrenic nerve damage" i didnt know what that was so I signed,weel two years later i wished i did because on the 4th ablation that dr severed my diaphranic nerve on my right side and my left lung no longer works the diaphram nerve on that side is paralyzed .
so please beaware of all things,because it has cost me a lung and lung disease that is not curable ,if you have any question please ask not all ablation are the same that bad one was my fourth.I had five all together with three diffrent EP

 

[Marty]

Different kinds of ablation

Different kinds of ablation

Yes, there seem to be different kinds of ablation. The one my son was scheduled for was pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). It was this one my EP's didn't like. The catheter goes in through a vein into the right side of the heart, right atrium, then they push it through the interatrial septum into the left atrium, then they find the pulmonary veins which bring oxygenated blood into the heart and burn around their openings, because they think some afib comes from irritable foci located there. It only works according to who you believe 50 to 70 % of the time and can lead to the dreaded pulmonary stenosis where oxygenated blood from the lungs cannot get back to the heart. The ablations kept to the right side of the heart are safer and easier to perform and the results are better.I am told but not risk free.