Ablasion - Does It Limit Future Options

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone. I am scheduled for an ablation with Dr. Natale at the

Cleveland Clinic on September 1, 2006. Last December, when I scheduled

my appointment, I was having AF every day for two to four hours. I

have since made a minor medication change and significant lifestyle

changes. Most notably, I quite my high stress, long hour job so that I

can focus on a whole foods lifestyle that includes many low impact

exercises and stress management techniques. Now I only have

infrequent, very short episodes of AF.

I do not think that my current lifestyle is sustainable forever. I

will at least have to go back to work eventually. I am rambling a bit,

but I am now wondering if I should put off the ablation surgery. When

I was in AF every day I would have done anything to get rid of it. Now

I am wondering if I can live with it for a few more years until better

treatment options are available.

Are there better treatments options on the horizon? Other than the

risks of surgery, does ablation limit future options?

Thanks:-)

Lori

[Guest guest]

Hi Lori,

I think over all this eventually comes down to a lifestyle decision that you

have to make on your own.

Personally, I have been conferring with EPs at the Washington Hospital Center

(in DC) and the Univ of land Medical Center (in Baltimore). Dr. Eldada (WHC)

attended the AFIB conference in Boston last January that you may have read about

on this forum. He said that the treatment for AFIB that we have today could

change radically in the next 2 to 5 years. As with any part of science, the more

time that goes by the more that can be learned and the tools become better.

I too want to have my AFIB addressed, however, I have made a personal decision

to attempt to wait for the next year or two to see where AFIB treatment is at

that time. Some of my decision process is based upon the fact that I have an

enlarged left atrium and this appears to lessen the success rates for ablations.

Some of the major enhancements coming are in the area of mapping the heart and

really being able to isolate the source of the extra pulses that cause the AFIB.

But this would all change for me if I started to have continual AFIB events

because I am very symptomatic. In a lot of ways, I wish I had your appointment,

but will attempt to hold off for as long as I can.

Good luck!

R,

Bob

Lori youngfibber36@...> wrote: Hi everyone. I am scheduled for an

ablation with Dr. Natale at the

Cleveland Clinic on September 1, 2006. Last December, when I scheduled

my appointment, I was having AF every day for two to four hours. I

have since made a minor medication change and significant lifestyle

changes. Most notably, I quite my high stress, long hour job so that I

can focus on a whole foods lifestyle that includes many low impact

exercises and stress management techniques. Now I only have

infrequent, very short episodes of AF.

I do not think that my current lifestyle is sustainable forever. I

will at least have to go back to work eventually. I am rambling a bit,

but I am now wondering if I should put off the ablation surgery. When

I was in AF every day I would have done anything to get rid of it. Now

I am wondering if I can live with it for a few more years until better

treatment options are available.

Are there better treatments options on the horizon? Other than the

risks of surgery, does ablation limit future options?

Thanks:-)

Lori

Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

List owner: AFIBsupport-owner

For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email,

send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help

Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should be

acted upon without consultation with one's physician.

[Guest guest]

Lori - I've had afib for about 5 years now.. the longest episode was 6 weeks,

and the shorted just minutes. Up until this past fall, I was averaging about 4

or 5 episodes per year.. that was it.. none of this every day stuff.

Monday, after my CT scan, in preparation my ablation, they told me that BOTH of

my atrium were slightly enlarged from the afib. I am hoping these will

diminish the longer I'm in NSR, but it really pointed out to me that I picked a

good time to have my own ablation. I had also gone into a several week stretch

of NSR, so was ever so slightly having doubts about going through with it. I

had also previously had a 15 months stretch of NSR as well....

When your heart is most healthy is when the ablation procedure has the best

potential. The time between NSR and permanent afib is literally a heart beat...

any of us who've had afib more than a single fluke time, are just buying time

with life style changes and medication... we hope it's a LONG buy, and for some

it is, but statistics show that medications, at least, fail at least 50% of the

time.

When you made your initial appointment, you obviously were at a point where you

felt your afib was serious enough to consider the surgery, or interfering with

your life enough... I had to keep telling myself that the last month prior to my

ablation... I made the choice at a point in time where things were bad, and just

because they got better with new medications, didn't mean they were going to

stay better forever. You still have a long way to go before you make your

decision.. I'd probably keep the appointment, and wait until mid-August to make

the final one.

Stef

Ablasion - Does It Limit Future Options

Hi everyone. I am scheduled for an ablation with Dr. Natale at the

Cleveland Clinic on September 1, 2006. Last December, when I scheduled

my appointment, I was having AF every day for two to four hours. I

have since made a minor medication change and significant lifestyle

changes. Most notably, I quite my high stress, long hour job so that I

can focus on a whole foods lifestyle that includes many low impact

exercises and stress management techniques. Now I only have

infrequent, very short episodes of AF.

I do not think that my current lifestyle is sustainable forever. I

will at least have to go back to work eventually. I am rambling a bit,

but I am now wondering if I should put off the ablation surgery. When

I was in AF every day I would have done anything to get rid of it. Now

I am wondering if I can live with it for a few more years until better

treatment options are available.

Are there better treatments options on the horizon? Other than the

risks of surgery, does ablation limit future options?

Thanks:-)

Lori

Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

List owner: AFIBsupport-owner

For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email,

send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help

Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should be

acted upon without consultation with one's physician.

[Guest guest]

Rob, Thank you for your response. I too have an enlarged left atrium

and I have a hypertropic cardiomyopathy so AF really effects me in a

negative way. When I have AF I am very sympomatic as well and have a

hard time functioning. That alone makes me want to have the surgery.

I am just a little leary of being an early adopter. I had one of the

first automatic implantable defibrillators in 1989. The surgery was

HELL. I am amazed how far the technology has come since I got my first

AICD. Now the surgeries are very easy and the devices are tiny. I

guess any surgery gets better with time. We are fortunate that AF has

so much visablity and funding. The treatments are bound to get much

better in the future.

My local EP went to the Boston meeting too. I think I will go talk to

him to find out what is coming in the future.

Thanks Rob!

Lori

Hi everyone. I am scheduled for

an ablation with Dr. Natale at the

> Cleveland Clinic on September 1, 2006. Last December, when I scheduled

> my appointment, I was having AF every day for two to four hours. I

> have since made a minor medication change and significant lifestyle

> changes. Most notably, I quite my high stress, long hour job so that I

> can focus on a whole foods lifestyle that includes many low impact

> exercises and stress management techniques. Now I only have

> infrequent, very short episodes of AF.

>

> I do not think that my current lifestyle is sustainable forever. I

> will at least have to go back to work eventually. I am rambling a bit,

> but I am now wondering if I should put off the ablation surgery. When

> I was in AF every day I would have done anything to get rid of it. Now

> I am wondering if I can live with it for a few more years until better

> treatment options are available.

>

> Are there better treatments options on the horizon? Other than the

> risks of surgery, does ablation limit future options?

>

> Thanks:-)

> Lori

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

> List owner: AFIBsupport-owner

> For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email,

> send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help

>

> Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or

should be acted upon without consultation with one's physician.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Lori,

Like you, I have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM or HOCM), which

is the cause of my atrial fibrillation. My EP says that, because of

the HOCM, I should not consider an ablation. With an underlying

structural problem with the heart, she believes an ablation would

have a relatively low chance of success.

Of course, we're all different . . .

Mike from Minnesota

Hi everyone. I am scheduled for

> an ablation with Dr. Natale at the

> > Cleveland Clinic on September 1, 2006. Last December, when I

scheduled

> > my appointment, I was having AF every day for two to four hours.

I

> > have since made a minor medication change and significant

lifestyle

> > changes. Most notably, I quite my high stress, long hour job so

that I

> > can focus on a whole foods lifestyle that includes many low

impact

> > exercises and stress management techniques. Now I only have

> > infrequent, very short episodes of AF.

> >

> > I do not think that my current lifestyle is sustainable forever.

I

> > will at least have to go back to work eventually. I am rambling

a bit,

> > but I am now wondering if I should put off the ablation surgery.

When

> > I was in AF every day I would have done anything to get rid of

it. Now

> > I am wondering if I can live with it for a few more years until

better

> > treatment options are available.

> >

> > Are there better treatments options on the horizon? Other than

the

> > risks of surgery, does ablation limit future options?

> >

> > Thanks:-)

> > Lori

[Guest guest]

Mike. My cardiologist told me the same thing, that my HCM would lower

the chances of success with ablation and that he would not do the

surgery. He has been my EP for 10 years and I trust him very much.

However, I left his office in tears of frustration and desperation and

decided to go to the Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion.

The CC said that my chances of success were somewhat lower, but that

they do recommend the ablation because my particular case of HCM is

not so bad that they would abandon ablation as an option.

Additionally, the negative impacts of AF are compounded because of the

HCM, so when I do have AF I feel really terrible and I am prone to

blood clots.

It is a difficult decision that is complicated by the fact that, as

you said, every case is different. For me, I think that I am going to

go forward with the ablation. I am just going with the very best

doctor that I can find (Dr. Natale at Cleveland Clinic) and hoping for

the best.

I will let everyone know how the surgery goes.

Best of luck to you Mike. Take care.

Lori

Hi everyone. I am scheduled for

> > an ablation with Dr. Natale at the

> > > Cleveland Clinic on September 1, 2006. Last December, when I

> scheduled

> > > my appointment, I was having AF every day for two to four hours.

> I

> > > have since made a minor medication change and significant

> lifestyle

> > > changes. Most notably, I quite my high stress, long hour job so

> that I

> > > can focus on a whole foods lifestyle that includes many low

> impact

> > > exercises and stress management techniques. Now I only have

> > > infrequent, very short episodes of AF.

> > >

> > > I do not think that my current lifestyle is sustainable forever.

> I

> > > will at least have to go back to work eventually. I am rambling

> a bit,

> > > but I am now wondering if I should put off the ablation surgery.

> When

> > > I was in AF every day I would have done anything to get rid of

> it. Now

> > > I am wondering if I can live with it for a few more years until

> better

> > > treatment options are available.

> > >

> > > Are there better treatments options on the horizon? Other than

> the

> > > risks of surgery, does ablation limit future options?

> > >

> > > Thanks:-)

> > > Lori

>

[Guest guest]

I don't know the statistics for ablation success with underlying heart structure

problems, but one thing that was made quite clear to me before my own ablation

is that most people who have one (by a skilled surgeon in this area) come out at

least better than they were before... whether the afib is less frequent, of less

duration or spontaneously stops.. with or without medication. Also, after

ablation, those who have had poor results with medications often have much

better control with them.

None of the above is considered a cure.. just a lessening of afib burden, and

for those who are highly affected by their afib, this might not be such a bad

thing.

I agreed with my EP prior to my ablation that a minimum " success " for me would

be afib that stops without requiring me to go to the ER for a zap... that would

have been a HUGE improvement, and worth the procedure since it would remove the

tether I feel to stick close to home and an ER I know. A cure (no afib and no

meds) is the ultimate, but anywhere inbetween spontaneously ending with

medication and the ultimate would still be a vast improvement, and would really

give me my life back.

Just a bit of a different perspective in looking at ablation " success " .

Stef

Lori youngfibber36@...> wrote:

Mike. My cardiologist told me the same thing, that my HCM would lower

the chances of success with ablation and that he would not do the

surgery. He has been my EP for 10 years and I trust him very much.

However, I left his office in tears of frustration and desperation and

decided to go to the Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion.

The CC said that my chances of success were somewhat lower, but that

they do recommend the ablation because my particular case of HCM is

not so bad that they would abandon ablation as an option.

Additionally, the negative impacts of AF are compounded because of the

HCM, so when I do have AF I feel really terrible and I am prone to

blood clots.

It is a difficult decision that is complicated by the fact that, as

you said, every case is different. For me, I think that I am going to

go forward with the ablation. I am just going with the very best

doctor that I can find (Dr. Natale at Cleveland Clinic) and hoping for

the best.

I will let everyone know how the surgery goes.

Best of luck to you Mike. Take care.

Lori

Hi everyone. I am scheduled for

> > an ablation with Dr. Natale at the

> > > Cleveland Clinic on September 1, 2006. Last December, when I

> scheduled

> > > my appointment, I was having AF every day for two to four hours.

> I

> > > have since made a minor medication change and significant

> lifestyle

> > > changes. Most notably, I quite my high stress, long hour job so

> that I

> > > can focus on a whole foods lifestyle that includes many low

> impact

> > > exercises and stress management techniques. Now I only have

> > > infrequent, very short episodes of AF.

> > >

> > > I do not think that my current lifestyle is sustainable forever.

> I

> > > will at least have to go back to work eventually. I am rambling

> a bit,

> > > but I am now wondering if I should put off the ablation surgery.

> When

> > > I was in AF every day I would have done anything to get rid of

> it. Now

> > > I am wondering if I can live with it for a few more years until

> better

> > > treatment options are available.

> > >

> > > Are there better treatments options on the horizon? Other than

> the

> > > risks of surgery, does ablation limit future options?

> > >

> > > Thanks:-)

> > > Lori

>

Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

List owner: AFIBsupport-owner

For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email,

send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help

Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should be

acted upon without consultation with one's physician.

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the information Stef. Sometimes I think of the surgery

as either working or not working. It is good to remember that there

are degrees of success. Even if my AF did not go away 100%, a

reduction in symptoms and an improvement in my reaction to medication

would make the surgery worth the risk for me. Thank you for pointing

out this important consideration.

PS - I am so glad that your surgery went well! Wouldn't it be an

absolute blessing to never have AF again. That is what I wish for you.

Take care.

Lori

Hi everyone. I am scheduled for

> > > an ablation with Dr. Natale at the

> > > > Cleveland Clinic on September 1, 2006. Last December, when I

> > scheduled

> > > > my appointment, I was having AF every day for two to four hours.

> > I

> > > > have since made a minor medication change and significant

> > lifestyle

> > > > changes. Most notably, I quite my high stress, long hour job so

> > that I

> > > > can focus on a whole foods lifestyle that includes many low

> > impact

> > > > exercises and stress management techniques. Now I only have

> > > > infrequent, very short episodes of AF.

> > > >

> > > > I do not think that my current lifestyle is sustainable forever.

> > I

> > > > will at least have to go back to work eventually. I am rambling

> > a bit,

> > > > but I am now wondering if I should put off the ablation surgery.

> > When

> > > > I was in AF every day I would have done anything to get rid of

> > it. Now

> > > > I am wondering if I can live with it for a few more years until

> > better

> > > > treatment options are available.

> > > >

> > > > Are there better treatments options on the horizon? Other than

> > the

> > > > risks of surgery, does ablation limit future options?

> > > >

> > > > Thanks:-)

> > > > Lori

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

> List owner: AFIBsupport-owner

> For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email,

> send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help

>

> Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or

should be acted upon without consultation with one's physician.

>

>

>

>