Pm implanted 24 August 2012

Hi, recurrent flutter, pm biventricular yesterday with ablate next week,any dos and dont's, as a doctor I'm sure they think I know what I'm doing, amio and anticoagulant stopped, excited and apprehensive of the loss of control next week ough 6x pva not helped and quality with fast rate poor over the last year.
Advice general experience would be helpful
Andy

3 Comments

More effective ablation

by ldebaugh - 2012-08-24 12:08:33

Ask you doctor if he can do this kind of ablation, which is much more successful than traditional ablation which has a really low success rate. Here's the article:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/HRS/26336

I also have to go in for an ablation, so I'm hoping my Hopkins doc is up on the latest and more effect procedures.
Good Luck,
M'Liz

Ablate Friday

by Andy7521 - 2012-08-25 01:08:00

Thanks for that Don. At a very good centre in Liverpool UK. Guess we are less likely to question the perceived skills of NHS Specialists in the UK !!! As no direct cost.
Excited about coming out of the flutter rate of 130. Will definitely ask re pm tech availability,
Frightened like anyone else in same situation!
Knowing support out there v helpfull
Andy


You've come to the right place...

by donr - 2012-08-25 10:08:39

Doc! Would make me chuckle, knowing you are a Dr., coming to see all us non-professionals. BUT!!!! If you are not the right kind of Dr. why should you know much more about PM's than us.

I once read of a rather well known Dr. here in the US walking in to see a specialist in another area & begging him to NOT treat him like a Dr. In other words, assume nothing about how much he knew.

Welcome aboard!

The loss of control during surgery is probably the most stressful, anxiety causing issue we face from this side of the scalpel. The ONLY way to reduce it is to follow the following advice:

1) Thoroughly vet the surgeon you are going to see & insure that in your opinion, he is the BEST.

2) Research the procedure you are going to undergo & pick out the issues/questions you have w/ it. Thoroughly discuss them w/ the surgeon before hand to satisfy yourself that he has them well under control & considered in advance. You have listed a bunch of terms that I last saw carved in a rune stone recovered from a glacial till in Greenland. In short, they mean nothing to me - but they mean a lot to you. Throw them out on the table to ensure that your surgeon is aware of them, and your concern about them. That will alleviate stress/anxiety for you.

3) Evaluate the patient (yourself) & decide if he has any special needs/med conditions that need to be addressed. Talk w/ the surgeon IN advance about them to be sure that he/she is fully aware of them & your concern.

4) Discuss up front w/ your anesthesiologist all the same issues, to be sure he/she fully understands your concerns. Crazy as this sounds - tell him that you are anxious about this procedure & want to understand all that is involved from his stand point. Now he is going to look at you like you have lobsters crawling in & out of your ears at this point, but remember that you are entering what to you is uncharted territory. Face it - Doc's like to be in control, also! ESPECIALLY - now that you are one of us, a PM Host, be sure that everyone, especially the anesthesiologist, KNOWS you have a PM. Ask them straight out - do they handle many patients w/ PM's. Do they know how to handle them if electrocautery is used? If they know how YOUR specific PM will react to a magnet being applied to it. Is there a PM Tech available in the event you have PM problems?

4a) when you enter the pre-op prep area - chat up all the techs about what they are doing & why. It will distract your mind from the activity at hand. My experience is that they will be very glad to answer questions as to what, why & when & they realize that you are anxious & being engaged will ease things. In particular, ask them what to expect from different actions. Then the unknown becomes known & the known is nowhere near as fearful.

5) In the future, these kinds of issues will be even more important to you.

6) Do NOT assume ANYTHING! There is a saying in the US that "...to assume makes an ass out of you and me..."

7) I'd say that in your position as an MD, they will assume that you know far more than you do.

I wish you the best as you enter as a stranger into a strange land.

Don

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