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AF Association chats with Cleveland Clinic Cardiologists and Electrophysiologist

Sharonica-Admin profile image
26 Replies

Tomorrow June 5th in recognition of World Heart Rhythm Week (June 4th-8th) the AF Association will be conducting a chat with Cleveland Clinic physicians (cardiologists and pediatric cardiologist/electrophysiologist) regarding Arrhythmias in Adults and Children.

If you are interested in asking these physicians questions, feel free to post your questions below.

World Heart Rhythm Week 2018

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Sharonica-Admin
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26 Replies
meadfoot profile image
meadfoot

Is it possible to ask EPs about heart pauses of a few seconds followed by tachycardia for about twenty seconds, are these dangerous and what should a person do about them.

Sharonica-Admin profile image
Sharonica-Admin in reply tomeadfoot

Hello, yes it is possible. I will be sure to ask the electrophysiologist this question and I will follow up with you tomorrow with the response.

meadfoot profile image
meadfoot in reply toSharonica-Admin

Thank you I am struggling with thus issue currently.

Sharonica-Admin profile image
Sharonica-Admin in reply tomeadfoot

Thank you for submitting questions for the Cleveland Clinic physicians. Your question was answered by Mina Chung, MD.

Mina K. Chung, MD, is a Staff Cardiologist in the Section of Pacing and Electrophysiology, The Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Chung is board-certified in internal medicine and in the subspecialties of cardiovascular disease and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, which is her specialty interest.

Her reply to your question was:

"It would be good to try to record your rhythm during these episodes - an event monitor with a memory loop would be helpful. It is difficult to assess how dangerous this is without seeing what the rhythm is."

meadfoot profile image
meadfoot in reply toSharonica-Admin

Thank you.

Bshersey profile image
Bshersey

What is the success rate of a first ablation for afib?

icklebud99 profile image
icklebud99 in reply toBshersey

1st ablation success rate is 7 out of 10 people I believe.

Sharonica-Admin profile image
Sharonica-Admin in reply toBshersey

Thank you for submitting questions for the Cleveland Clinic physicians. Your question was answered by Mina Chung, MD.

Mina K. Chung, MD, is a Staff Cardiologist in the Section of Pacing and Electrophysiology, The Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Chung is board-certified in internal medicine and in the subspecialties of cardiovascular disease and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, which is her specialty interest.

Her reply to your question was:

"Depends on whether or not the heart is structurally normal or if the afib is persistent or paroxysmal. In a structurally normal heart with PSVT, success rates may be as high as 80-90% but this may require more than one procedure. For more persistent forms the success rate can be under 50%. Also, your body tends to heal across our ablation lines so some late recurrences can happen."

baba profile image
baba

What is the treatment for symptomatic AF with heart rates less than 100.?

Sharonica-Admin profile image
Sharonica-Admin in reply tobaba

Thank you for submitting questions for the Cleveland Clinic physicians. Your question was answered by Mina Chung, MD.

Mina K. Chung, MD, is a Staff Cardiologist in the Section of Pacing and Electrophysiology, The Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Chung is board-certified in internal medicine and in the subspecialties of cardiovascular disease and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, which is her specialty interest.

Her reply to your question was:

"You can consider a cardioversion possibly with an anti arrhythmic drug and / or ablation if you have continuing symptoms. "

baba profile image
baba in reply toSharonica-Admin

Thank you

pottypete1 profile image
pottypete1

What, in the opinion of the panel, is the link between the heart and the stomach.

I am aware that Dr Sanja Gupta has made videos on this topic.

Every time I eat I get palpitations often followed by ectopics.

Pete

Sharonica-Admin profile image
Sharonica-Admin in reply topottypete1

Thank you for submitting questions for the Cleveland Clinic physicians. Your question was answered by Mina Chung, MD.

Mina K. Chung, MD, is a Staff Cardiologist in the Section of Pacing and Electrophysiology, The Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Chung is board-certified in internal medicine and in the subspecialties of cardiovascular disease and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, which is her specialty interest.

Her reply to your question was:

"The esophagus (swallowing tube) lays right behind the left atrium right between the pulmonary veins, which are the triggers of afib. Perhaps this contributes to the extra beats. "

pottypete1 profile image
pottypete1 in reply toSharonica-Admin

Thank you Sharonica for asking the question for me.

Best wishes

Pete

secondtry profile image
secondtry

Do they know of a statistic from a significant sample without co-morbidities or taking anti-coagulants of the chances of getting a stroke purely from AF contrasted with a similar population without AF e.g. 1in 300 chance with AF, 1 in 500 without AF or is it not possible to simplify to this level? Despite reading a lot, I have never seen this, in my mind key point, clarified.

Aprilbday profile image
Aprilbday in reply tosecondtry

I wonder about that too. If no co-morbidities and Chad score 0-1, why anti-coagulants?

fnurd profile image
fnurd in reply toAprilbday

The clinical trials of the anticoagulants provide this sort of information. They were needed in order to get the product license. There are loads of them. Google is your friend.

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

One of the last treatments available for me is Pace & Ablate. I have been recommended by my doctors to have a bi-ventricular pacemaker because of recent research regarding the effect of long term pacing of one ventricle.

Please could you comment on the risks and benefits of bi-ventricular pace and Ablate?

I am 67 so I hope my life expectancy may be more than 10 years.

Sharonica-Admin profile image
Sharonica-Admin in reply toCDreamer

Thank you for submitting questions for the Cleveland Clinic physicians. Your question was answered by Mina Chung, MD.

Mina K. Chung, MD, is a Staff Cardiologist in the Section of Pacing and Electrophysiology, The Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Chung is board-certified in internal medicine and in the subspecialties of cardiovascular disease and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, which is her specialty interest.

Her reply to your question was:

"AV junction or AV node ablation would make you dependent upon the pacemaker. Approx 1/5 of people who are dependent on the pacemaker can develop heart failure. A bi-v pacemaker could potentially prevent that. "

mjames1 profile image
mjames1

I had four afib episodes in 40 years. But in past month, multiple very short SVT episodes (under 5 minutes) and one short afib and aflutter episode, all documented by Kardia Mobile. Can SVT ablation help, or could it potentially make my afib more persistent as I've read? Any help appreciated.

Sharonica-Admin profile image
Sharonica-Admin in reply tomjames1

Thank you for submitting questions for the Cleveland Clinic physicians. Your question was answered by Mina Chung, MD.

Mina K. Chung, MD, is a Staff Cardiologist in the Section of Pacing and Electrophysiology, The Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Chung is board-certified in internal medicine and in the subspecialties of cardiovascular disease and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, which is her specialty interest.

Her reply to your question was:

"The question is what the SVT is. It could be an atrial tachycardia or flutter if it is regular. It could be due to an extra connection between top and bottom of the heart. Ablation could potentially help and could be directed toward the SVT and/or the afib."

wilsond profile image
wilsond

My question would be "Is there real advantages in having an ablation,and does it bring its own risks of clots forming via the scars used to alleviate the AF symptoms?"

Sharonica-Admin profile image
Sharonica-Admin in reply towilsond

Thank you for submitting questions for the Cleveland Clinic physicians. Your question was answered by Mina Chung, MD.

Mina K. Chung, MD, is a Staff Cardiologist in the Section of Pacing and Electrophysiology, The Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Chung is board-certified in internal medicine and in the subspecialties of cardiovascular disease and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, which is her specialty interest.

Her reply to your question was:

"Afib ablation may be more successful than some anti arrhythmic drugs in maintaining normal rhythm. There are some risks of clots forming during the procedure, but we do the procedure when on blood thinners to reduce this risk."

wilsond profile image
wilsond in reply toSharonica-Admin

Thank you for this.I actually meant after the abkation has been performed,the scar tissue formed by the surgeon being a possible site for new clot formation?

mjames1 profile image
mjames1

Hi Sharonica, I saw what appeared to be part of your reply to my question, above, in an email notification, but when I clicked on "See Reply" it redirected me here and I can't find your reply. New here so maybe I'm navigating wrong. Any help appreciated.

Bermingham profile image
Bermingham

How much exercise is ok every day for afibbers and what percentage of max heart rate I should be doing during cardio workouts How many hours a week is ok? I’m on amiodarone (200) and eliquis.

Candyb

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