Heard from Dr. Natale's office the other day. They are sending a 7 day monitor for me to wear. This is the next step leading up to another trip to Texas Cardiac and Arrhythmia for a TEE. This test will let them know if the function of my LAA is good enough to come off of the Elequis. I'm hoping as well that I will also be coming off of the beta blockers as well.
The past year of life has had allot of ups and downs but in the end it has all seemed to work out. I haven't noticed any arrhythmia's and my back, though it still hurts some times, is no where near where it was.I have yet to start using the indoor trainer but I have been doing allot of walking and climbing the stairs at work. I think I may try to get on either the trainer tomorrow or the spin bike. I have been getting to the gym regularly though and that feels good.
Showing posts with label left atrial appendage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label left atrial appendage. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Friday, July 20, 2018
T minus 24 hours and counting
Well less than 24 hours and I should be out of surgery..
Had my CTA and consultation with Dr Natale today. This is the first CTA I have ever had. First off the staff I the MRI lab were excellent. The test itself was easy. The only odd part is when they inject the contrast. They warn you first but it is a different sensation. I found it to be relaxing but others may be disturbed by the sensation. You can literally feel it flowing throughout your body.
The visit with Dr. Natale wasn’t very long but informative. My case nurse had discussed allot of things and answered questions for me before he arrived. So he was able to go pretty much to the nuts and bolts of tomorrow’s activities. I had asked if there was anything he had seen from my previous ablation notes that gave him any insight or made him suspect of any particular part of the heart that might be suspect.
He said that it probably is no longer PVI related as I have already had 2 ablation but he wasn’t ruling that out either. He did talk some about the possibility that it could be related to the left atrial appendage. If this is the case it may require for me to come back for a second procedure. The reason for this is two fold. One being it’s location and second being structural. I’ll explain as best I can.
The left atrial appendage lies closely to the corroded artery. So when they ablate that area they can only allow the catheter to remain in any one area for a shorter period of time. The reason fo this is to eliminate the risk of doing any damage to it. The structural issue here is that the walls of the opening to the appendage are thick and thin depending upon the area. Also the structure of the consistency of the appendage is different as well.
The other caveat with the left atrial appendage is that if they do ablate it I will have to remain on anticoagulants for life. This is due to the fact that the LAA is a major cause for stroke by itself. Ablation only increases this risk. The other option to anticoagulants would be the Watchman Device. The Watchman is like a filter that they would implant that would catch any clots that may form thus eliminating 5he need for anticoagulants.
So for right now all I can do is wait and see what tomorrow brings.
Had my CTA and consultation with Dr Natale today. This is the first CTA I have ever had. First off the staff I the MRI lab were excellent. The test itself was easy. The only odd part is when they inject the contrast. They warn you first but it is a different sensation. I found it to be relaxing but others may be disturbed by the sensation. You can literally feel it flowing throughout your body.
The visit with Dr. Natale wasn’t very long but informative. My case nurse had discussed allot of things and answered questions for me before he arrived. So he was able to go pretty much to the nuts and bolts of tomorrow’s activities. I had asked if there was anything he had seen from my previous ablation notes that gave him any insight or made him suspect of any particular part of the heart that might be suspect.
He said that it probably is no longer PVI related as I have already had 2 ablation but he wasn’t ruling that out either. He did talk some about the possibility that it could be related to the left atrial appendage. If this is the case it may require for me to come back for a second procedure. The reason for this is two fold. One being it’s location and second being structural. I’ll explain as best I can.
The left atrial appendage lies closely to the corroded artery. So when they ablate that area they can only allow the catheter to remain in any one area for a shorter period of time. The reason fo this is to eliminate the risk of doing any damage to it. The structural issue here is that the walls of the opening to the appendage are thick and thin depending upon the area. Also the structure of the consistency of the appendage is different as well.
The other caveat with the left atrial appendage is that if they do ablate it I will have to remain on anticoagulants for life. This is due to the fact that the LAA is a major cause for stroke by itself. Ablation only increases this risk. The other option to anticoagulants would be the Watchman Device. The Watchman is like a filter that they would implant that would catch any clots that may form thus eliminating 5he need for anticoagulants.
So for right now all I can do is wait and see what tomorrow brings.
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