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“ATYPICAL ATRIAL FLUTTER” QUESTIONS
I recently had a return of AFIB two + years after an ablation. This time (per EKG) I’m told that it is Atypical Atrial Flutter.
I understand that it takes a more complicated ablation procedure to resolve this. My EP put me on an anti arhymitic med. and scheduled a Cardioversion for the end of this month. (The med seems to have resolved the irregular rate but my BPM remains at 100. No symptoms now except very limited exercise ability)I had one when I had AFIB and it worked, but didn’t last very long. Is this approach just “Kicking the Can down the Road “ Thanks!
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“Kicking the Can down the Road “
The very best ironic laugh I've ever had from an analogy explaining our heart problems! I've thought of "Dog chasing his tail", but yours is much better...
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1 ReactionAtypical atrial flutter can be tricky and a lot of EP's are not capable offixing it. As you probably know flutter is a re-enterant circut. I've had it and my EP couldn't fix it. Cardioversion worked for a day.
I went to UCSF and had Dr. Gerstenfeld fix it. Irregular rythyms after fib ablations are one his specialties.
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3 Reactions@labexperiment Thanks. The EP who performed my previous ablation is who I hope to have for my next one. He’s been around a long time and has an excellent reputation. I will ask about his experience with Atypical Flutter . Did your procedure at UCSF resolve yours?
@beebo Yes it did
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2 Reactions@labexperiment I fully agree that not all EPs have the experience or the skills to nip the more complex arrhythmias, or the rarer forms of it. This is where the patient who has the means to do so would begin to look further afield and seek the highest skillsets he/she can afford. Dr. Andrea Natale at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin is one such surgeon, and so is Dr. Pasquale Santangeli at Cleveland Clinic. There ARE several others, but I have not learned of them (being Canadian and not normally accessing medical services in America).
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1 ReactionPosted my experience with Natalie. He had his mind made up before I went there, watchman and pulmonary veins. He was totally wrong. My appendage was fine. As a physicain for 41 years you don't diagnose a person over a virtual meeting and determine the patient's treatment. Other's MMV but that was a huge turn off for me. I was very well taken care of at UCSF and would go back if need be.
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1 ReactionCan you take metoprolol tartrate for the high heart rate? I don’t have flutter but I have Afib and my ep said I can take metoprolol tartrate for the rate.
@labexperiment That's a legit beef in my view. Sorry to hear this, but you have every right to be skeptical.
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1 Reaction@loswalt0525 Both tartrate and succiante are the same drug. The difference is the coating. Tartrate is released quickly and succinate is released slowly hence time released. Both will lower your ventricular rate by targeting beta andregenic nerves (sympathetics). Metropolol is specific to the AV node so even though your ventricular rate slows down (that's the pulse you feel in your wrist for example) but you're still in fib bc metropolol does nothing to the atria and that's the fibrillation / quivering clot producing basics in Afib or flutters.
Best to talk with your Dr. for specific advice dosages alternative drugs etc.
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1 Reaction@labexperiment Wow!