No T.O.E. for ablation this time.

[dedeottie]

I have now waited 6 months for myy second ablation and since this is the time after which my authority say they are obliged to give you a date, I rang to see if i could find anything out.

Well, my consultants secretary is on maternity leave and hasnt been replaced, the lady who is dealing with her work is on annual leave and my consultant is on study leave!! 

However, not to be deterred, I spent a week on and off the phone like a demented dervish and eventually my wonderful but overworked arrhythmia nurse managed to find out that i should be receiving a letter giving me a date in june or July so that will be an 8 or 9 month wait altogether.

Anyway, this time I will not be having a T.O.E. as they have stopped doing them routinely for people who have been well anticoagulated on warfarin and have 3 consecutive weeks I.N.R.s over 2.

On the one hand, I am glad because it is one less thing to go through but on the other a little bit nervous.

This is obviously hospital policy so cant do anything about it but would be interested to hear what people think. X

[jennydog]

I didn't have one before my ablation. I asked about it and was told that I already had a tube fitted ( I had a GA )

I do hope that you will finally be free of the dreaded, awful AF.

Very best wishes.

[BobD Volunteer]

TOE is not standard practise in all hospitals if you have been in INR range for four consecutive weeks. Many EPs now proceed whilst patient is still on anticoagulant rather than bridging with clexane.

[Mazza23 in reply to BobD]

I have been told by my hosp to stop Apixaban 2days before ablation now I am very worried if they bridge with clexane I have lqts and that is one of the drugs I can't take I know they should be aware of this but on a recent stay in hosp they almost gave me ventolin this is another drug I can't have guess I have a bit of talking to do ,must always be on my toes despite having a medic alert bacelet 

[dedeottie in reply to Mazza23]

Ok ,I agree, you do need to be on your toes and I think we all do. After my first ablation I was told I could come off warfarin after the 3 month blanking period even though we hadnt really tested the ablation success out because i had still been on flecanide. I had to remind the consultant that I had had 3 T.I.A.s and then he said i would have to stay on warfarin for life ( thankfully!)

It was just as well as when I came off flecanide I went straight into fast AF and stayed there for the next 2 months.

To be fair, he appologised for even suggesting it and thanked me for reminding him but it shows we all need to speak up for ourselves. X

[Mazza23 in reply to dedeottie]

Flecanide is another no no for me

[dedeottie in reply to Mazza23]

Yes of course. L.Q.T. makes medication difficult for sure.

[dedeottie]

O.k. thanks. I feel better about it now i know it is not just my hospitals policy. X

[Barb1]

I had a TOE under GA before all 4 of my ablations. My EP said he would not do them any other way. The 3rd had to be postponed because a clot was found in the right atrium and it was 6 months before the EP felt happy to go ahead again. I was probably unlucky but it is food for thought.

[pirnough6 in reply to Barb1]

What is a Toe 

[Barb1]

Sorry right atrial appendage I meant

[Barb1]

Trans oesophegal examination ie camera down the throat into the heart. The only way to see if you have a clot  there.