Posted by Bill Kilgore on May 12, 2004 at 18:25:02:
Hello friends,
I just had a six month CT scan at CCF. Dr. Natale performed my procedure on October 27th, 2003. The news is generally very good. I share it to help those who are struggling with a decision about whom to seek for a cure where to go. I have no more a-fib since my procedure -- maybe one event 6 days after lasting one minute and several hours of sinus arrhythmia two weeks after. Quite unrelated to the a-fib or the procedure, I did have numerous enlarged lymph nodes in the upper chest that were revealed in the CT scan at three months. After seeing a pulmonologist in Houston to determine the etiology of the enlarged lymph nodes, I learned there were two possible diagnoses: inflammation or malignancy -- possibly lymphoma. The only way to positively rule out lymphoma is a tissue sample obtained by surgery. I voted for inflammation. It turns out that a pulmonary function test, blood test and x-ray were all normal except for an elevated ACE level which is consistent with Sarcoidosis, a kind of inflammation. The next CT scan of last week showed that the enlarged lymph nodes were fewer in number and size with only one node near the upper limit of normal. Hence, no tissue sample will be necessary. I do have mild stenosis (<40%) in three pulmonary veins which was slightly worse at six months than at three months. So, I must go back in three more months for another CT scan and remain on Warfarin until then. Michelle Williams Andrew told me that no one with my level of stenosis at six months has ever progressed to "severe" stenosis and to not worry about it. I plan to take her advice. The knowledge to be gained is that some stenosis is possible and that CCF will follow it every three months until it stabalizes or regresses. They must have lots of data and it is good to be able to get an answer to a question such as, "Given my level of stenosis this long after my procedure, what is the probability that I will stabalize or regress and not progress to severe?". I have no positively recognizable symptoms of the mild stenosis. i.e. I do get a little winded when swimming 2000 meters or performing other cardio, but I would get a little winded anyway. Honestly, I cannot tell if I am unusually winded since I push myself pretty hard in workouts.
Best personal regards to all of you,
Bill
- Re: PVI Ablation plus six months Glenn Camp 22:33:27 5/12/2004 (0)