Heartthrob, I was informed of many side effects but not that one. When I asked why I wasn't informed I was told it is rare. Also talking to the radiologist and Dr.s and looking at the ct scans and TEE results I have an abnormal heart anatomy. Things are not where they are supposed to be.

Ha Ha Ha Ha, that's exactly what Calkins told me. I have an abnormal heart anatomy. Other doctors have said that I have a perfectly normal heart anatomy.

That is what they commonly say following failed ablations.

Half of my above post failed to post. Are we limited in numbers of words or numbers of lines?

I'm sorry Shantima. I don't mean to sound like I am making light of your horrible situation. Mine was much worse.

You would find this very enlightening.

http://collateral-damage.net/

Ok, that was very disturbing!

Yes that was disturbing. I look here for support but several posts have left me very upset. I have gotten a lot of support from the rest of you and I appreciate it a lot. I think though I will stay off line for a while some people with a personal vendetta deecide to go their way.

Shantima: Your PNI WILL resolve. I read the same reliable info that was posted by someone else. We want to hear from you. As far as success is concerned, you can't evaluate that for 3 month (sometimes a little longer). I have read posts from people "way down the line" and the negative side effects are hard for them to remember when they talk about being in NSR for 2-6 years. Keep positive. I think the post was to let you know your parts are in the right place. There is less room to perform ablations in women, doesn't make you abnormal. What would be abnormal would be if Dr Calkins had boobs. We have gotten to know you here and care about your recovery and NSR. You made a sound decision to go to a major center. We all struggle with our decisions. :-)

Heartthrob1 : Is the book about you? Are you Dan Walter's wife? Just curious.

Shantima, please don't stay off-line. I for one really want to know how you are doing as you recover from this. This complication is a rare complication. It happens less than 1% of the time, but it is a known possible risk for the procedure. However, 98% of the people that it does happen to fully recover.

I'll be praying for you and just ignore the posts that aren't helpful.

I agree with Denikae and Petey. Please stay and keep us posted on your progress.

Do stay with the group. You do have lots of support here. This is a support group after all, and perhaps not the proper forum to discuss complications.

Sorry for your trouble, but what happened to you made me angry. You should never have been left in a situation where, having just undergone a major medical procedure, you get discharged in your frame of mind... anxiety, lack of information, looking for answers on the Internet. That's not right.

Also, here's this: Prognosis of phrenic nerve injury is usually very good: complete recovery has been described in a report by Bai et al.[59] after an average follow-up of about 9 months.http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/752625_7

I'm so glad someone else mentioned Caulkins...I was biting my lip the whole time. He is rated 1 out of 10, so he most definitely is not one of the best. I don't know about the hospital, as lots of hospitals are teaching hospitals, and I'm going to Mt. Sinai in July to see Dr. Reddy, who has great credentials, and he assures me he will be performing the ablation.

If anyone has any feedback on this I'd sure like to know.

Shantina...did they take a chest x-ray to make sure you don't have a partially collapsed lung, because that's what happened to me with my first procedure, and I had to insist on an x-ray after 3 day of pain.

Oh dear, Sharima: My intent was never meant to be malevolent. My first post was cut in half. I searched, but could not resurrect the other half. I was offering hope and said that I would pray for your complete and speedy recovery. I hyperlinked the same article (that I see now on going back farther), has already been sent to you by Petey.

I only laughed, because that is the same thing that Dr. Calkins told me. He said that my heart was abnormally small. Others have told me that it was perfectly normal. I am on an afib forum, another support group, where it seems to me that whenever ablation fails, it is said to be the fault of the patient for having a small or otherwise abnormal heart anatomy.

I hope that you do not leave this support group. I wish you freedom from atrial fibrillation, and a complete and rapid resolve from your current difficulties.

Best Regards,
Heartthrob

Tomorrows,

Who did your ablation?

ps, (I am from West Caldwell... Went to St. Al's)

I had my ablation at St. Al's by Poi, and he's a real smart a@@, but he was the EP affiliated with that office, as I saw Dr. Codina as a cardiologist. Never again will I go back there. He called me a failure...when in fact I feel he failed me. This time I'm flying to NYC to stay with my sister and go to a Dr. that deals in persistent A-Fib.

Small world that you are from Caldwell.

tommorsdream. Good luck in NYC. I could pursue an ablation with a competent persistent afib doctor, but my hangup is rhythm drugs.