Hi I've had my report through the post of my recent phone appointment and, as I suspected after the conversation ended ,I have been discharged from Proff Osmans clinic.
Thinking about it,I'm concerned. I have had an AF event on 6/6/24 and another 30/7/24 which I was able to eventually stop with an extra 100mg flecanide. At the last review,a RF touch up was mentioned ( not by the Proff but team member)
Im pleased that flecanide is generally working now ,as pre ablation it wasn't, but feel concerned I will have no access to the arrhythmia nurses,or the man himself. My GP ,I do not trust to have anything to do with my arrhythmia, it was he who instigated the return of AF after my ablation ,telling me to stop flecanide overnight in order to take NSAIDs for back issue.
My concern is that although Proff O said to get back in touch if AF worsens,I will now be at the back of a long wait and be dependent on GP referral to him. Unless I go private(?)
I don't feel ready to be without AF care yet!
I'm still under the eye of a cardiologist at another hospital, for the monitoring of my bicuspid aortic valve. I have a phone appointment with him 5th September.
I'm thinking of raising my concerns with him, what do members think please?
Still glad I had the ablation. Xx
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I understand your concern and I’m expecting similar at my 12 month review in December. Although I’m comfortable managing things at the moment and I haven’t needed any help since 3 month review, I do enjoy having the contact availability with the arrhythmia team if needed. I keep un update on my bio.
Maybe let them know how you feel and ask to stay on the books for a few more months, they probably have targets to reduce their numbers but worth an ask.
I know exactly how you feel. I live in dread of my cardiologist discharging me. I know it cant go on forever but the safety blanket is so comforting when we feel vulnerable and AF is shadowing us daily. Just the prospect of having a good team in the wings can calm us sufficiently to help.
Its not as though its a one off condition where we have had surgery, say for gall bladder removal, then it would be ridiculous to expect being kept on their books. But this is a long term condition which rears its head at any point sometimes with awful symptoms and needing hospital care. Ok a and e can help briefly but its not the same as the experts. Sadly I have found a and e not particularly good when having a bad episode but thats perhaps my local hospital, maybe yours is better.
My discharge is coming very soon I fear and at every interaction with the team I am expecting them to say good bye. Its concerning.
Yes I know I am lucky to have had a great team behind me as are you and I am beyond grateful. Fingers crossed we can cope and if in need being known to them may possibly mean we can get back with them. There is nothing to be lost by getting in touch to see if you can be kept with them even if its on an annual phone call check in basis via the AF nurse. Just ask. Good luck.
Interesting and diametrically opposite to my situation. I have been on the books of my EP since 2004 when I first met him and have his e mail address on file. I have in the past emailed him if things went silly and he responds though usually with two word answers lol 😁 . I had my pacemaker fitted in 2021 but since then my follow up appointment has been postponed repeatedly and is currently July 2025! I was initially slightly annoyed but now realise that he knows if I need him I will make contact and this is his way of keeping me on the books.
I took the precaution of keeping his email after my private appointment, and have been in touch via this since. So have emailed him today ,see what happens next. He's a nice approachable man so fingers crossed 🤞 Ignore underlines Bob,keeps happening!
it sounds like its definitely worth asking if you can be put back on their books, especially if they mentioned a touch up at the last review and you had an episode last month. I would ring the arrhythmia nurses again on the number you used to call them on. Perhaps they made a mistake in discharging you, which is possible, as you know what these things are like…
My wife doesn't have AF but a chronic lung disease which we fought long and hard to get properly diagnosed and treated. We travel to Manchester to see her consultant and she continually asks not to be discharged from there - she did have telephone consultations over the lockdowns with other team members and they all said she was doing so well that she may be discharged next review - which is why we keep traveling to the clinic as often as we can and ask not to be discharged. She has not seen her respiratory consultant here since diagnosis back in 2015 - even though the hospital in Manchester sends him copies of the consultation reports and blood test results. Really they are the only people she sees about this apart from getting her repeat prescriptions from the GP.
I would contact them and explain you don't feel right not having access to the nurses and ask to be kept on for at least another year.
Thanks desanthony,my thoughts exactly ,have emailed to voice concern today. Its not as if I'm not getting AF any more!Keep lugging on with your wife's care..grrr
It doesn’t worry me at all to not be under the direct care of a named EP but that is me.
I’m sure you would still have access to the Arrythmia Nurse, I know that happens in other hospitals, if so you would be able to still ring for advice and if there was anything there that the nurse thought needed to be checked out they would refer directly to Prof Osman.
The only speciality that doesn’t discharge back to GP after 2 years of monitoring seems to be neurology.
I have emailed,asking just that,do I still have access to the nurses,if so fine..I have no faith at all in my GP surgery,any of the 3,sadly.Please ignore underlining ,don't know why it's happening! Xx
I had my ablation by Professor and he said to contact him if I need to, albeit I saw him privately but even so. I had been seeing a consultant for some years and he referred me to the Prof. I can be worth paying for a consultation.
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