Cardioversion

[Melbuckton]

Anybody know wait time from gp referral to operation please?

[bantam12]

That all depends on the hospital as they are all different but as with anything Cardio related it could be a long wait, give the hospital a call then shop around if it's to long a wait.

[Melbuckton in reply to bantam12]

That's what I was afraid of. So my gp will be able to refer me to the hospital I've found with the shortest list? That I can get to!

This is very useful information much appreciated. Why is cardiac related poor for waiting times do you know?

Mel

[bantam12 in reply to Melbuckton]

You can choose which hospital you want to use but waiting times are long, there are to many patients !

Obviously if you are already seeing a Cardiologist then your procedure will be at that hospital, you could always go private if you don't want to wait.

[Melbuckton in reply to bantam12]

Right. Not been referred to anyone yet by gp.

So if I go private do I have to research all the hospital's and consultants to find ones that do cardioversion and I can get to.

Then ask my GP to refer me to my choice. Presumably he may have some options or is that not allowed?

I appreciate you may not know but thank goodness for these forums.

[bantam12 in reply to Melbuckton]

Your GP is requesting cardioversion ? I'm surprised he/she can do that, I would have thought you need to see a Cardiologist first.

You can choose any hospital, nhs or private and your GP can refer you.

Personally I think you need to see a Cardiologist before going any further as GP's aren't usually expert in the specialities.

[Melbuckton in reply to bantam12]

My gp referred me to another dr in the practice. He requested the echocardiogram. My impression is that you need one before cardioversion.

What I meant is that I am going to be referred to somebody as l am in permanent af.

So when I see the Dr you are right he will be referring me to a cardiologist or electrophysiologist.

But it would be for cardioversion hence the queries about wait times.

I assume if I pick an nhs cardiologist I can't then go private and vice versa.

[bantam12 in reply to Melbuckton]

You can initially see a Consultant privately then revert to nhs for treatment but it needs to be made clear at the start that's what you want to do, I've done it several times with no problems, it can work the other way as well as long as the Consultant also has connections with a private hospital.

[Melbuckton in reply to bantam12]

That's good news thanks!

I think I'll investigate private hospitals waiting times for cardioversion and then see what the dr says about the NHS time.

Then I can choose which route to go.

Based on what you have said if I choose a nhs consultant with links to private facilities that should work unless the nhs wait to see him is long. In which case straight onto private.

There's so much to learn thanks for your help!

[CDreamer in reply to Melbuckton]

Because the NHS has been a political football - depleted of resources, low staff moral and rising demand. 1.5M people with AF /1200 Electrophysiologists.

In our area my friend waited for 18 months in persistent AF before getting an appointment -we live in a well know ‘red spot in Europe’ ie:- known to have very high demand and under-resourced. And that information came from the top.

On the other hand - we have excellent stroke management - oh wait - we are all trying to avoid stroke!

Sorry to be sarcastic but makes me mad.......

Even to get a private appointment I waited 6 weeks in the summer but if you can, it is probably worth it as you can get to see your person of choice. Do your research as not all are equal.

It’s worth asking here who members may suggest for your area and bear in mind that the ‘local’ hospital will probably not hack it, look for a Centre of Excellence for EP - St. Barts, Liverpool, Birmingham etc. I believe Imperial is doing some really interesting work.

[BobD Volunteer]

If you are fully anticoagulated it may be possible to have such quite quickly. If not then you need to be anticoagulated for at least a month if not longer.

[Melbuckton in reply to BobD]

When I see dr will be 2 and half weeks on edoxaban.

However correspondent above suggested that it would be long wait for cardioversion. You say quite quickly.

I'm confused!

Mel

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Melbuckton]

Depends on your local hospital. GP may not be judged right to request and it may need cardiologist appointment or may be accepted and fitted in. Some areas much more difficult than others. I have had DCCV next day when requested by my EP .

Minimum anticoagulation one month unless done within 24 hours of onset of first AF event in normal circumstances. With warfarin four consecutive INR readings in range but with DOACs no requirement for INR so just confirmation of no missed doses.

In a few cases above may be waived by use of TOE (Transoesphageal echiocardiogram) to check for possisble clots.

I have heard of areas where waiting list may be three months so best live in a good area. lol 😁

[Melbuckton in reply to BobD]

Ok Dr didn't tell me why he requested echocardiogram but assume that it was with cardioversion in mind.

Based on your advice etc. I'll research local private hospitals before I see Dr. Then he should know nhs waiting list and I can choose.

Thanks for help.

Mel

[sandoval22 in reply to Melbuckton]

Cheapest private I found was £1500 @ Kims hosp in Kent. Interested to find any cheaper.

[Melbuckton in reply to sandoval22]

Thanks found several around that. I think it's the insurance companies controlling the similar prices.

[Lizzo in reply to BobD]

My EP told me that there will be a three month wait for the cardioversion he has requested for me. I had a two month wait for my EP appointment too! This is at the Leeds heart Centre.

[Melbuckton in reply to Lizzo]

Thanks but those are long waits.

Good luck with it.

Mel

[Goosebumps]

Mel

I am relatively new here as well and I posted almost exactly the same question and got a lot of good advice. Here is my take on timings in the NHS.

The GP does the referral to a cardiologist. You can choose another one but this may alter timings. My GP forgot to send the referral in at all,so I lost 3 weeks, not relevant to you but I do like to gripe about it. The referral was on 3/10/19.

Cardiologist came back within 2 weeks and asked my GP to put me on NOAC, mine is Apixaban, I see you are already past this stage.

Within 3 weeks of the referral I got a letter that the NHS trust booked me an echocardiogram 3 weeks after that. ( so 6 weeks after referral, I think this is quite quick)

At the echocardiogram they told me I would get a letter telling me what would happen next, I should expect nothing to actually happen in terms of treatment for about 3 weeks.

At this point I decided it was worth jumping the queue so I went private to the NHS cardiologist which cut the wait down to one week . They take you off the NHS list when you do this. I saw the consultant this week, well worth the money, cost me £220, he had already reviewed the Echocardiogram. He has now put me back in the NHS system, no point spending extra money in his view as I was already on the list for a cardioversion. (I don't know when they put me on this list ). I enquired and it's about 9 weeks wait from when you go on the list.

So from the GP referral to the potential cardioversion looks like about 16 weeks but Xmas may interfere with that.

I am in South East Wales,obviously there will be regional differences.

Hope this all helps.

Paul

[Melbuckton in reply to Goosebumps]

Very helpful to all newbies!

So I wonder...ask my GP to put me down when I see him on Tuesday if wait is 9 weeks for cardioversion.

Echocardiogram already asked for 3 weeks ago. Ask for referral to cardiologist on nhs. He can deal with test results and operation.

That's the same outcome as you but different order.

Shades of eric Morecambe

[Goosebumps in reply to Melbuckton]

Not so sure I understand, the NHS cardiologist requested the Echocardiogram and put me on the waiting list for the cardioversion. I don't think the GP can do this but I could be wrong.

But as long as it's all the right notes.....

[Melbuckton in reply to Goosebumps]

I was referred to this Dr by my Dr so perhaps he is a specialist but we both agreed an echocardiogram was next and he said he had requested one. The next week he said he'd chase it up. It could be that different nhs trusts operate differently.

[Rebec16]

This isn’t an answer to you question but this is what has happened to me. I saw a cardiologist on 1st August, he recommended a cardioversion and referred me to another cardiologist for the procedure. I am still waiting for a date to see that cardiologist. Cardiologist number 1 has given me another clinic appointment in April to make sure I “don’t get lost in the system”!

[Melbuckton in reply to Rebec16]

Oh dear that's not good. They at least seem to be keeping an eye on you.

[Rebec16 in reply to Melbuckton]

I’ve never had a symptom so I don’t feel bothered about having to wait

[Melbuckton in reply to Rebec16]

It's up to the individual in the end to hope they can get you out of what could be any effects of being in your current situation.

[Hellie54]

I saw my EP privately and he booked me in for my 2nd cardioversion at a private hospital. £1800 was quoted. However I changed my mind and decided to go on the NHS list as I felt safer (I had a bad experience once before in a private hospital). I had a successful cardioversion ten weeks later, followed by three glorious months in nsr, then flipped back into af. I don't have private health insurance so I'm glad I didn't waste my money on private treatment. That's something to consider.

[Melbuckton in reply to Hellie54]

Thanks. Grist for t'mill...

Mel

[Redman]

About 12 weeks in Nottingham

[Melbuckton in reply to Redman]

Not bad thanks

[Maril1]

I have had cardioversion half a dozen or more times back in 2006 to 2009 all within 48hrs of attending A & E in the North West with permanent aflutter apart from the first time when I was diagnosed which took 3 months because my blood had to be the thinned with warfarin . The procedure only takes less than 15 minute and have had it done twice on the ward and the medic who does it just needs to be good on the button.

[Melbuckton in reply to Maril1]

Wow is all I can say. Most seem to be waiting quite a long time.

Thanks for responding

Mel

[Janelr]

I’ve been waiting almost 3 months and I’m in persistent af and really struggling with it was told normally 6 weeks however they have had influx of them.

[Melbuckton in reply to Janelr]

I think this is going to be by far the NHS biggest problem. There are 1 million people in af in the uk. As the population ages more and more as af is age dependent.

Trouble is it seems to often take several operations of inversion then failure means ablation. And there are lots of side paths like Watchman.

Once everybody in af finds out that they are in cognitive impairment and heading for dementia like you and I then getting out of af will be demanded more.

I'm in persistent af and apart from the stroke risk and blood thinner bleeding risk and degeneration and side effects like headaches and sore muscles it's not too bad.

What is it you are struggling with do you want to say?

Mel

[Janelr in reply to Melbuckton]

The struggle is the breathlessness with me I’m asthmatic which doesn’t help . Tight swollen feet /ankles medication doesn’t seem to help for that.

Luckily my heart is in good shape so that’s one bonus for now.

[Melbuckton in reply to Janelr]

Heart in good shape that's a real positive!