Re: My Story

[Guest guest]

What tests does he do?

> In a message dated 8/2/04 4:58:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

sellmak@o...

> writes:

>

> > I was curious as to what made Natale more successful than others.

>

> Kirk,

> Natale does his homework. Research and more research. His specialty

is AF not

> valve replacements or other plumbing problems. By dedicating his

practice to

> curing AF, he has become the most proficient. PVA's aren't just hop

up on the

> table, we're going to zap you. Very careful study and risk analysis

takes

> place first. Through a variety of tests. Dr. Natale and others are

what makes the

> Cleveland Clinic the #1 heart hospital in the US year after year.

FYI he also

> is in Marin General Hospital once a month doing PVA's. That's just

North of

> San Francisco. A lot closer than Cleveland.

> As far as being to aggressive? Everyone has their own opinion. The

proofs in

> the pudding. Many on this board speak very highly of him and his

staff. These

> are patients of his. My own EP, Dr. phson, who heads up the EP

Lab at Beth

> Israel Deaconess Med.in Boston and is a Harvard Med. School

Professor of

> Cardiology and Medicine, speaks well of him

> Dr. Jackman is at the Un. Of Ok. Very accomplished. I've said

several times,

> he may not be doing PVA's any more.

> Hang loose!

> Rich O

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Just to put my own exclamation mark on Rich O's letter,

I second -- from personal experience -- what he has

written about Dr. N and the people who support him.

Cleveland is a model of what a hospital should seek

to imitate.

Lew

(6 months plus in NSR after two ablations.)

At 04:34 PM 8/3/2004 -0400, you wrote:

>In a message dated 8/2/04 4:58:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time, sellmak@...

>writes:

>

> > I was curious as to what made Natale more successful than others.

>

>Kirk,

>Natale does his homework. Research and more research. His specialty is AF not

>valve replacements or other plumbing problems. By dedicating his practice to

>curing AF, he has become the most proficient. PVA's aren't just hop up on the

>table, we're going to zap you. Very careful study and risk analysis takes

>place first. Through a variety of tests. Dr. Natale and others are what

>makes the

>Cleveland Clinic the #1 heart hospital in the US year after year. FYI he also

>is in Marin General Hospital once a month doing PVA's. That's just North of

>San Francisco. A lot closer than Cleveland.

>As far as being to aggressive? Everyone has their own opinion. The proofs in

>the pudding. Many on this board speak very highly of him and his staff. These

>are patients of his. My own EP, Dr. phson, who heads up the EP Lab at

>Beth

>Israel Deaconess Med.in Boston and is a Harvard Med. School Professor of

>Cardiology and Medicine, speaks well of him

>Dr. Jackman is at the Un. Of Ok. Very accomplished. I've said several times,

>he may not be doing PVA's any more.

>Hang loose!

>Rich O

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone , I just got back from Boston and saw a surgeon. I told

him how many bouts of afib I have had. IN 97 I had a repair done on

the mitrol valve, he saw the tests the cardio dr. sent to him and he

told me that I would probably need a new valve in a few years , so

he would do the Maze proceedure along with fixing my valve. I am

going so nuts with this a fib that this is the way I am going, even

though at this time the valve does not need doing. My operation is

for October 18, 2004. I am very scared and nervous , but the

surgeon seems to think this is the best way....thanks for listining

lynne

[Guest guest]

> Hi everyone , I just got back from Boston and saw a surgeon. I

told

> him how many bouts of afib I have had. IN 97 I had a repair done

on

> the mitrol valve, he saw the tests the cardio dr. sent to him and

he

> told me that I would probably need a new valve in a few years , so

> he would do the Maze proceedure along with fixing my valve. I am

> going so nuts with this a fib that this is the way I am going, even

> though at this time the valve does not need doing. My operation

is

> for October 18, 2004. I am very scared and nervous , but the

> surgeon seems to think this is the best way....thanks for listining

> lynne

*********

Lynne, the very best of luck to you. The Maze procedure is supposed

to be very effective in getting rid of afib. Please keep us posted.

There is a whole different bulletin board with those people who have

have the Maze procedure done in conjunction with other heart repairs,

I can't remember the name of it, but I'm sure someone will step

in.Jack Drum is the name of one of the moderators, I think.

Hope this helps,

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/3/04 6:43:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

lynne55790@... writes:

>

> Hi everyone , I just got back from Boston and saw a surgeon.

Lynne,

Who did you see in Boston? I live on the South Shore.

You've made a huge decision. The Maze and valve replacement.

We'll be with you all the way.

Rich O

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/3/04 6:43:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

lynne55790@... writes:

>

> Hi everyone , I just got back from Boston and saw a surgeon.

Lynne,

Who did you see in Boston? I live on the South Shore.

You've made a huge decision. The Maze and valve replacement.

We'll be with you all the way.

Rich O

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/3/04 6:43:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

lynne55790@... writes:

>

> Hi everyone , I just got back from Boston and saw a surgeon.

Lynne,

Who did you see in Boston? I live on the South Shore.

You've made a huge decision. The Maze and valve replacement.

We'll be with you all the way.

Rich O

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/3/04 5:45:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

lzkoch@... writes:

> Cleveland is a model of what a hospital should seek

> to imitate.

>

Lew,

When you saw Dr. Natale, what kind of tests did he or his staff do prior to

and after your PVA.

Thanks

Rich O

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/3/04 5:45:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

lzkoch@... writes:

> Cleveland is a model of what a hospital should seek

> to imitate.

>

Lew,

When you saw Dr. Natale, what kind of tests did he or his staff do prior to

and after your PVA.

Thanks

Rich O

[Guest guest]

Kirk,

I've asked one of Dr. Natale's patients to answer your question.

When I had my PVA, they had me first go through the following.

Stress test- the treadmill variety

Cardiac MRI.

Echocardiogram

TEE- Transesophacal cadiogram

Blood tests

Thirty days after the PVA I had to have the TEE again and the Cardio MRI. My

EP said he believes in thorough follow-up.

Rich O

[Guest guest]

Kirk,

I've asked one of Dr. Natale's patients to answer your question.

When I had my PVA, they had me first go through the following.

Stress test- the treadmill variety

Cardiac MRI.

Echocardiogram

TEE- Transesophacal cadiogram

Blood tests

Thirty days after the PVA I had to have the TEE again and the Cardio MRI. My

EP said he believes in thorough follow-up.

Rich O

[Guest guest]

Rich:

As far as " tests " prior to Dr. Natale's PVA, I think not much as I had

undergone a whole

battery of them from my own cardiologist, Ian Cohen at Weiss

Hospital/University of

Chicago. Much of that time prior to the procedure was a fog because of all

the damn

drugs I was taking, none of which did a damn thing except make me real stoopid.

On the three month check up -- I can tell you I spent two months in NSR --

and the

next month in growing more painful afib. (I was, believe it or not, taking

6 to eight

vicodin a day for the pain associated with the afib.) It took Dr. Natale

about 4 seconds

listening to my afib to decide. (Actually his nurses rendered the verdict

by scheduling a second

as soon as there was an opening.) So, there was no " test " other than

listening/watching

my heart go pitter pitter pat pat pat pitter pat (pause) pitter/pat

After the second, one more check up and I was outta there and back to raising

hell.

Lew

At 07:45 AM 8/4/2004 -0400, you wrote:

>In a message dated 8/3/04 5:45:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

>lzkoch@... writes:

>

> > Cleveland is a model of what a hospital should seek

> > to imitate.

> >

>

>Lew,

>When you saw Dr. Natale, what kind of tests did he or his staff do prior to

>and after your PVA.

>Thanks

>Rich O

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Rich:

As far as " tests " prior to Dr. Natale's PVA, I think not much as I had

undergone a whole

battery of them from my own cardiologist, Ian Cohen at Weiss

Hospital/University of

Chicago. Much of that time prior to the procedure was a fog because of all

the damn

drugs I was taking, none of which did a damn thing except make me real stoopid.

On the three month check up -- I can tell you I spent two months in NSR --

and the

next month in growing more painful afib. (I was, believe it or not, taking

6 to eight

vicodin a day for the pain associated with the afib.) It took Dr. Natale

about 4 seconds

listening to my afib to decide. (Actually his nurses rendered the verdict

by scheduling a second

as soon as there was an opening.) So, there was no " test " other than

listening/watching

my heart go pitter pitter pat pat pat pitter pat (pause) pitter/pat

After the second, one more check up and I was outta there and back to raising

hell.

Lew

At 07:45 AM 8/4/2004 -0400, you wrote:

>In a message dated 8/3/04 5:45:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

>lzkoch@... writes:

>

> > Cleveland is a model of what a hospital should seek

> > to imitate.

> >

>

>Lew,

>When you saw Dr. Natale, what kind of tests did he or his staff do prior to

>and after your PVA.

>Thanks

>Rich O

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Have any other members in here had those tests with doctors not

associated with Dr. Natale?

> Kirk,

> I've asked one of Dr. Natale's patients to answer your question.

> When I had my PVA, they had me first go through the following.

>

> Stress test- the treadmill variety

> Cardiac MRI.

> Echocardiogram

> TEE- Transesophacal cadiogram

> Blood tests

>

> Thirty days after the PVA I had to have the TEE again and the

Cardio MRI. My

> EP said he believes in thorough follow-up.

> Rich O

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Have any other members in here had those tests with doctors not

associated with Dr. Natale?

> Kirk,

> I've asked one of Dr. Natale's patients to answer your question.

> When I had my PVA, they had me first go through the following.

>

> Stress test- the treadmill variety

> Cardiac MRI.

> Echocardiogram

> TEE- Transesophacal cadiogram

> Blood tests

>

> Thirty days after the PVA I had to have the TEE again and the

Cardio MRI. My

> EP said he believes in thorough follow-up.

> Rich O

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> In a message dated 8/3/04 6:43:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

> lynne55790@y... writes:

I Rich thank you for your reply, I went to Women and Bringhams

hospital and I saw a Dr. Coupier. I as I said before will

have this done August 18th. I will have a mechanical valve and the

Maze proceedure. I am very very nervous, but I know I have to do

this so what choice do I have? I love life and want to be here

for a long time..Lynne