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Dear all:
First of all, let me excuse for only now send another email to this forum, after sending my first email about 2 years ago (I have copied below my first post, in which I have introduced myself). I often visit this Forum, which has been an excellent source of information and personal support. For a long time I was planning to write again but unfortunately, for several reasons, I never did so far...
During the past days, there has been some discussion about a-fib and radio-frequency ablation. Because I have learned some about this during the previous three years, I would like to share my own experience and ask some questions: I am 34 year old and have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. I am currently in permanent a-fib. My first episode of a-fib was in June 2002: chemical cardioversion with amiodarone was tried but not worked, followed by successful electric cardioversion after 3 weeks with INR 2-3. The same happened on the second episode (June 2003). On the following three episodes (3rd: June 2004; 4th: October 2004: 5th: December 29, 2004), electric cardioversion was tried successfully before 48 hours of onset.
Two days after the 5th episode (December 2004), I was again in a-fib and the doctors (at the emergency in the Hospital) decide not to do cardioversion again. After that, I persuade my own cardiologist to do another cardioversion in early February, which did not work. I forget to mention that during these three years most of the time I was taking amiodarone (200 mg five days per week). I was aware of all the risks and I never liked to take it. Any how, I must say that I did not have any side effect besides becoming too sensitive to sun light. Now I am on sotalol (160+80mg daily) and, of course, varfine.
I was schedule for a radio-frequency ablation in Lisbon, where there is some few years experience on that. The doctor who was going to do it, told me to not expect more 50% success after learning that I had HCM and looking at an Echo where my left atrium diameter was 59 mm (this echo was from 2003). He asked me more exams (namely a more recent echo) and scheduled the ablation for late April. Thus, I had another Echo (March 2005) and find out that now my left atrium diameter is 64 mm. Knowing that the doctor cancelled the radio-frequency ablation, because he said that there was only a 20-30% success. He said that I would have to live with a-fib to the rest of my life, which I haven’t yet accepted.
After reading a lot of papers -- I have access to many International Journals in the internet since I am an assistant Professor at the University of Coimbra, trying to finish my PhD dissertation without much success during the past 3 years--, I found out that the size of the atrium (mainly the left atrium) is an extremely important issue in a-fib. For example, the success of radio-frequency ablation or the maze operation is considerably low for left atrium diameters bigger than 60mm.
Sorry for having written so much… I must finish. But I have three questions:
1- For those who have experienced a-fib (Sarah, Paul, JoAnn …) what is the diameter of your left atrium?
2- Does anyone on the forum done a radio-frequency ablation for a-fib?
3- For those with permanent a-fib. What is your heart frequency? My doctor mention my heart should be on 70-80 beats per minute, however it is always quicker than that.
Next time I would like to share you some information and questions I have on radiofrequency ablation, maze operation and a more recent technique (Atrial Reduction Plasty Cox Maze Procedure). To which forum should I send my post?
Bye for now
Fausto
PS Just a note about radio-frequency ablation. There are different types of catheter (or Surgical) ablation of atrial tissue, namely isolation of pulmonary veins, linear ablation, circumferential… with different results and needing different expertise. In Europe there are two well known centers for radiofrequency ablation:
1-Bourdeaux, France (Drs Jais and Haïssaguerre), who pioneered this technique in 1994 and
2- Milan, Italy (Dr Pappone).
I have contacted these two centers and I can share some information. Sorry but I don’t know much about the USA situation.
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2003 8:01 pm Post subject: Hi, new user from Portugal
Hi, my name is Fausto Freire and I am 32 years old. I am from Europe, more exactly the south - Portugal. I was diagnosed with HCM (with obstruction) 9 years ago (when doing the inspection for military service, which of course I've failed - this was the only good news... However I must also acknowledge that having HCM changed the way I see life (in a better way, trying to do a better job enjoying every moment!)
This email is to introduce myself and to thank you all very much for creating this association and maintaining this site. I have been checking it for a couple of years and I really find it very useful. Besides having the opportunity to know what people like me feel (I have never met personally anyone else with HCM...) it has been a very good source of information.
(…)
Thank you very much and congratulations for your excellent work. It has been an excellent help.
Fausto
First of all, let me excuse for only now send another email to this forum, after sending my first email about 2 years ago (I have copied below my first post, in which I have introduced myself). I often visit this Forum, which has been an excellent source of information and personal support. For a long time I was planning to write again but unfortunately, for several reasons, I never did so far...
During the past days, there has been some discussion about a-fib and radio-frequency ablation. Because I have learned some about this during the previous three years, I would like to share my own experience and ask some questions: I am 34 year old and have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. I am currently in permanent a-fib. My first episode of a-fib was in June 2002: chemical cardioversion with amiodarone was tried but not worked, followed by successful electric cardioversion after 3 weeks with INR 2-3. The same happened on the second episode (June 2003). On the following three episodes (3rd: June 2004; 4th: October 2004: 5th: December 29, 2004), electric cardioversion was tried successfully before 48 hours of onset.
Two days after the 5th episode (December 2004), I was again in a-fib and the doctors (at the emergency in the Hospital) decide not to do cardioversion again. After that, I persuade my own cardiologist to do another cardioversion in early February, which did not work. I forget to mention that during these three years most of the time I was taking amiodarone (200 mg five days per week). I was aware of all the risks and I never liked to take it. Any how, I must say that I did not have any side effect besides becoming too sensitive to sun light. Now I am on sotalol (160+80mg daily) and, of course, varfine.
I was schedule for a radio-frequency ablation in Lisbon, where there is some few years experience on that. The doctor who was going to do it, told me to not expect more 50% success after learning that I had HCM and looking at an Echo where my left atrium diameter was 59 mm (this echo was from 2003). He asked me more exams (namely a more recent echo) and scheduled the ablation for late April. Thus, I had another Echo (March 2005) and find out that now my left atrium diameter is 64 mm. Knowing that the doctor cancelled the radio-frequency ablation, because he said that there was only a 20-30% success. He said that I would have to live with a-fib to the rest of my life, which I haven’t yet accepted.
After reading a lot of papers -- I have access to many International Journals in the internet since I am an assistant Professor at the University of Coimbra, trying to finish my PhD dissertation without much success during the past 3 years--, I found out that the size of the atrium (mainly the left atrium) is an extremely important issue in a-fib. For example, the success of radio-frequency ablation or the maze operation is considerably low for left atrium diameters bigger than 60mm.
Sorry for having written so much… I must finish. But I have three questions:
1- For those who have experienced a-fib (Sarah, Paul, JoAnn …) what is the diameter of your left atrium?
2- Does anyone on the forum done a radio-frequency ablation for a-fib?
3- For those with permanent a-fib. What is your heart frequency? My doctor mention my heart should be on 70-80 beats per minute, however it is always quicker than that.
Next time I would like to share you some information and questions I have on radiofrequency ablation, maze operation and a more recent technique (Atrial Reduction Plasty Cox Maze Procedure). To which forum should I send my post?
Bye for now
Fausto
PS Just a note about radio-frequency ablation. There are different types of catheter (or Surgical) ablation of atrial tissue, namely isolation of pulmonary veins, linear ablation, circumferential… with different results and needing different expertise. In Europe there are two well known centers for radiofrequency ablation:
1-Bourdeaux, France (Drs Jais and Haïssaguerre), who pioneered this technique in 1994 and
2- Milan, Italy (Dr Pappone).
I have contacted these two centers and I can share some information. Sorry but I don’t know much about the USA situation.
-------------- ----------------
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2003 8:01 pm Post subject: Hi, new user from Portugal
Hi, my name is Fausto Freire and I am 32 years old. I am from Europe, more exactly the south - Portugal. I was diagnosed with HCM (with obstruction) 9 years ago (when doing the inspection for military service, which of course I've failed - this was the only good news... However I must also acknowledge that having HCM changed the way I see life (in a better way, trying to do a better job enjoying every moment!)
This email is to introduce myself and to thank you all very much for creating this association and maintaining this site. I have been checking it for a couple of years and I really find it very useful. Besides having the opportunity to know what people like me feel (I have never met personally anyone else with HCM...) it has been a very good source of information.
(…)
Thank you very much and congratulations for your excellent work. It has been an excellent help.
Fausto
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