Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
Fellow Sufferers,
Well, I had HOPED to provide you with TONS of good information about my 90 day follow up...I was lucky enough to get signed up for the Laser Balloon Catheter study that is currently underway at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Hugh Calkins did the ablation on 2 January 2013. Yesterday I had my 90-day follow up. During my meeting with the amazing Dr. Calkins, he mentioned that I was incredibly lucky, because the first 3 months after surgery such as this afib can actually be much WORSE (I was thinking of Heather's poor husband), and since I have had no afib these first 3 months, I could probably count on not having afib for at least the next 3 years (wait, I wanted like 25 years!). He feels that this catheter presents a really positive move forward for afib sufferers. Now is the part where I froze...he mentioned that thusfar, he views this study as 100 successful.... this is where I needed either my wife, or Petey to be there. My response? "That is ALL I ask, 100% success rate!" Where as I know the information that would have been much more important for those of you making a decsion would have been "How many patients are we talking about?" (I was number 4 back in Janauary) and "What is your criteria for success?" I apologize for that. But I would say, if this brilliant man believes that this new laser balloon catheter may represent a "breakthrouh," please at least consider it (and do MUCH research) as an option for treatment. I am now off the flecanide and blood thinner, but must continue the metoprolol for another 3 months. Hopefully at that point I will be off EVERYTHING, and can get back to feeling "normal" once again. NSR to us all!
Bill
Well, I had HOPED to provide you with TONS of good information about my 90 day follow up...I was lucky enough to get signed up for the Laser Balloon Catheter study that is currently underway at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Hugh Calkins did the ablation on 2 January 2013. Yesterday I had my 90-day follow up. During my meeting with the amazing Dr. Calkins, he mentioned that I was incredibly lucky, because the first 3 months after surgery such as this afib can actually be much WORSE (I was thinking of Heather's poor husband), and since I have had no afib these first 3 months, I could probably count on not having afib for at least the next 3 years (wait, I wanted like 25 years!). He feels that this catheter presents a really positive move forward for afib sufferers. Now is the part where I froze...he mentioned that thusfar, he views this study as 100 successful.... this is where I needed either my wife, or Petey to be there. My response? "That is ALL I ask, 100% success rate!" Where as I know the information that would have been much more important for those of you making a decsion would have been "How many patients are we talking about?" (I was number 4 back in Janauary) and "What is your criteria for success?" I apologize for that. But I would say, if this brilliant man believes that this new laser balloon catheter may represent a "breakthrouh," please at least consider it (and do MUCH research) as an option for treatment. I am now off the flecanide and blood thinner, but must continue the metoprolol for another 3 months. Hopefully at that point I will be off EVERYTHING, and can get back to feeling "normal" once again. NSR to us all!
Bill
I dwell in possibility.
-Emily Dickinson
petey
Bill
I am curious if the study you are in is NCT01456000 at clinicaltrials.gov as I was asked if I wanted to participate in this at UCSF but declined since I am asymptomatic.
opsyn
Let me send an email to my nurse and find out if this is the same study...I really don't know...I was just told Cardiofocus/laser balloon...I will get back with you as soon as I hear a response. I don't blame you...doesn't make much sense to get any kind of serious procedure when you are asymptomatic...I had afib for 2 full years with ZERO symptoms...who would have thought I would have looked at those years as "the good old days!"
Bill