Questions to email doctors about their treatments for AF

Questions to ask EPs or Surgeons about their Procedures for Treating Atrial Fibrillation

The questions below can be copied and pasted into your email, or you can use it as a guide when you call a doctor's office to ask questions.

The questions can also be copied to Word or another word processor where you can edit them, or set up tables or forms for you to type or write in answers. You can make a separate sheet for each doctor you contact.

You will need to select questions based on the type of procedure you are asking about (CA vs. surgery). You may have to think about the questions the doctor's staff will be able, willing, or have the time to answer. I have starred the ones that will probably be most important.

You might ask if there is information in a brochure or online that you could look at and then contact them if you have questions.

I would suggest that you call first to find out whom to email or call, and to introduce yourself as a prospective patient, so that they will be expecting your message or call.

The best way to get answers to your questions is to ask them in a face-to-face paid consultation. Here you can benefit from the back-and-forth attention to detail that can be so difficult when using email or the phone.

Make sure you get answers to all your questions. It is easy to get carried away by a doctor's enthusiasm.

The traditional patient role has been to be passive and obedient. Nowadays, more doctors are allowing well-informed patients to be active in determining the treatment that will be most effective for them.

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Questions for Doctors (or their Staff) about their Procedures to Treat AF

[Say that you appreciate very much the person's taking the time to answer your questions.]

[Say how you heard of the doctor to whom you are contacting. Referral from another doctor known to the one you are contacting to may help make sure you get your questions answered, and might get you other special treatment, such as being put ahead on the waiting list..]

[Write or state a brief history of your AF, which makes clear whether your AF is Paroxysmal or Continuous]

[Then say something like: " I have a some questions. I realize that you may not be able to answer all of them...]

**1) How many [name of the procedure for your type of AF] procedures have you done.

2) [If you are interested] Are there other doctors there who also do the procedure. How can I contact them.

3) [If applicable:] I realize that this is a fairly new procedure, so I will ask: Have you had experience doing other surgery that would transfer to doing [the new procedure or variation].

** 4) What is your success rate. What percentage of successful patients with my type of AF are off all anti-arrhythmic medications and Coumadin.

**How long have these patients been followed up.

**How is the presence or absence of AF determined.

**5) What complications have you had into using your latest version of your procedure.

6) Do you use any particular criteria in selecting patients. Are there patients you will not accept. I have [a condition you suspect might make a difference]. Will that make a difference.

7) How long a wait would there be for an initial appointment, and for the procedure.

10) If I am interested in being considered for surgery, what do I do next. Is there a fax # I should use for sending records.

The following questions have to do with the procedure itself.

*1) How long does the procedure take.

*2) What incisions are made.

**3) In addition to PVI, exactly what lesions are done.

*4) What device and energy source are used.

* 5)What are the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

6) a) [For catheter ablation] How is EP mapping done to select areas for ablation.

b) [For surgery] Is there any kind of EP evaluation done to select areas for ablation or isolation.

*7) [For surgery] Is EP evaluation done to make sure the work was successful.

*8) [For catheter ablation] What imaging system is used to allow the EP to see what he is doing.

*9) [For surgery] How much time is spent on the heart-lung bypass machine.

*10) What is your position on the controversy over whether to remove the LAA.

*11) How long is the hospital stay.

*12) What is the range of time until full recovery for different levels of activity: for example, for office work and construction work. After how long would there be no exercise or work restrictions.

**13) What options does a patient have if [name of procedure] fails. How often is a second procedure done. If a second procedure is usually or often done, what is it and how successful is it.

**14) Is there anything else that is new or special about this procedure, such as new technology or other features that distinguish your method from that done at by other doctors or at other centers.

15) [Optional] Are there treatments in the pipeline that I should consider waiting for. If I were to call you back in one or two years, what new procedures or other developments in the field would you be telling me about.

[The ultimate question is always, "Where would you go for treatment if you were me?" But, you don't want to ask that ---- or do you?]

"Thanks you very much for your help!"

[You can consider saying if this information is going to be publicized or shared; for example, on a bulletin board.]

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