ECHO RESULTS

[G0dfather]

Hi just had a bit of a shock with my ECHO results...

Left ventricle appears moderately dilated with moderate dysfunction

Mitral valve regurgitation with moderate to severe regurgitation

Severe left atrial enlargement

I had a catheter ablation done two weeks ago I would have thought they would have waited for these results before going ahead with the ablation. I have contacted my EP immediately as he was not aware of these issues im sure as it was done by the NHS.

My feelings are the AF i was getting was probably down to these other issues?

Andrew

[BobD Volunteer]

I would suggest that the left atrial enlargement may be due to the AF as this is a common side effect of AF. Hard luck anyway Andrew.

Did they not do the echo before the ablation as would be normal or have I missed something and you bypassed the system by going privately for one  and NHS for the other?  When I had my last ablation they did a CT scan before which they put up on the screen  onto which  they could superimpose the X ray image to better allow  navigation.

The good news is that stopping the AF  will probably allow the left atria to return to normal.

Bob

[G0dfather in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob,

thanks so much for your input...

had the ECHO done afterwards by NHS ablation was 14th echo was 22nd April this was sanctioned by NHS after I spent the night in casualty after a bad AF episode. My last ECHO done by the Consultant who did the Ablation was in October so I guess he thought he had enough info then but I do feel he should have checked more as I was definately apprehensive as I knew something was wrong. My only concern is the ablation has'nt made matters worse.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to G0dfather]

In the long term I doubt it as I said above and can likely improve the cardiomyopathy.

[captainKFF in reply to G0dfather]

Hi Andrew, I agree with BobD, all EPs usually do a CT before ablating at least in the US to assist in the procedure with the PVs, also the results of echos are operator dependent and can vary, mine did, it doesn't hurt to repeat in the near future, as for outcome of ablation, I think no one should prognosticate because no one really knows and only time will tell, if I were you, I would remain positive and hopefully you will fair well, best wishes to you.

[Bryonny]

Dear Andrew, I am not clear from your message if you had the Echo done before or after your ablation?  If before, the team should have had access to your results before proceeding with an ablation - unless you are seeing your consultant in a different hospital to where you had the tests and ablation done?

I have a severely enlarged left atrium and this, I understand, does not preclude me from having an ablation, I have another rare problem which means ablation could cause me more problems. 

I think you are right to discuss your concerns with your EP and to get some answers about changes within your heart and what the options are with regard to treatment so you can make an informed choice about future plans of management.

There are other members of this forum who are far more knowledgable than I am and I am sure they will have some positive comments to share with you.  Wishing you all the best.

[G0dfather in reply to Bryonny]

Hi Bryonny,

Thankyou so much for your input.

I had the ECHO done afterwards by NHS ablation was 14th echo was 22nd April this was sanctioned by NHS after I spent the night in casualty after a bad AF episode. My last ECHO done by the Consultant who did the Ablation was in October so I guess he thought he had enough info then but I do feel he should have checked more as I was definately apprehensive as I knew something was wrong. My only concern is the ablation has'nt made matters worse.

[Bryonny in reply to G0dfather]

Dear Andrew, probably best to talk to your consultant to clarify things and if you are not happy you can always seek a second opinion.    Sorry to hear you have been left feeling concerned and I hope you get some answers soon that can put your mind at rest. 

[JonathanPittsCrick]

It's very unlikely the ablation has made  it worse but, seeing the echo result, it's rather unlikely the ablation will be successful long-term.  It's especially important to make sure your blood pressure is normal or low (ideally around 110/70) using ACE-inhibitor treatment or similar + a mild diuretic. 

Echos often exaggerate the severity of mitral regurgitation but if the LV is getting progressively more enlarged you may need mitral valve repair surgery.

[G0dfather]

I had a meeting with my EP last night he was amazed at the difference in the echo results as the one he did in October was so different  , no LV dysfunction only mild regurgitation from the mitral valve , only mildly dilated Atria!!!

He says he would have still done the ablation but he would have been more circumspect?? Not sure what he means on that one.

He thinks there has been a mistake with this latest Echo or its wrong due to the fact ive been in AF a lot which can affect it he says? He also says if the EF is 57% it also makes him question the validity of the Echo?

He has prescribed Amioradone for the AF,  caverlilol and Rampril for the Echo results plus Rivoroxaban. He has booked me in for an MRI heart scan for 8 weeks time.

To get such a varied report in such a short period of time maybe suggests DCM? I am just so confused with it all as I guess its hard to make a prognosis with so much going on...all I know is I feel tired and poorly and want the best course of action asap.