3-month checkup

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Posted by Mike Ware on March 07, 2003 at 17:57:34:

I am happy to report that I just had my checkup at CC following my November 25th PVI and I am officially cured with no detectable stenosis! I am off the Coumadin and Zocor now - yippee!! I am thrilled.

I had a good chat with Dr Natale and Michelle Williams-Andrews, his clinical nurse. They told me that the new 8mm catheter tip using 70 watts, has not been quite as effective as the 4mm cooled tip catheter. However, using the 8mm tip is much faster - it cuts at least an hour off the PVI procedure. Dr Natale says that in Europe, they are now using a 100 watt, 8mm tip and with those they are seeing 86% first time success. With 70 watts, Dr Natale is getting slightly less than 80% success on one try. The 100 watt tip is not FDA approved yet in the US, but once it is, he will switch to that one.

Dr Natale and Michelle seemed quite happy about our Maze board. They appreciate the information and support it gives afib sufferers. I told him some us may have a "reunion" the first of August to coincide with the afib conference at CC and he was pleased to hear that.

FYI - the annual NASPE conference (www.naspe.org) will be in Washington DC this year. It's a huge conference with all the world-renowned EPs in attendance (including the French). Dr Natale will be there and will probably be presenting again this year. Last year he debated the French (Dr. Jais I think) on whether or not his PVI approach is better than their "segmental" ablation approach for afib. No doubt the French are outstanding at researching and treating afib. If I could speak French and my insurance would pay for it, I certainly would be one to consider treatment there. However, I personally like Dr Natale's "carpet bombing" approach (as the French put it) since it requires less time on the table and logically reduces the need for touchup ablations. I think that Dr Jais and Dr Natale's success rates have got to be the best in the world. (Jason, why does Dr Jais want his ablation patients to stay in the hospital all week? I would go stir-crazy after more than 24 hours in a hospital unless I was heavily sedated)

While at CC, I met Lowell Rottrup and his lovely wife. Lowell was consulting with Dr Natale to seek help in convincing his insurance company to pay for a PVI. It was wonderful meeting Lowell after hooking up with him via this board and talking by phone. I wish him well in his quest for a cure. He said he had been able to negotiate a $25K fee for a PVI at CC assuming he had to pay for it out of his own pocket. That doesn't cover touchups or complications which could greatly increase his financial exposure. Maybe France might be a possibility for Lowell and others whose insurance companies are too tightfisted and uncaring to do what's right by their customers. Best of luck to Lowell in his quest for a cure. I hope we meet again!

M.

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