Do I need an ablation?

[Midnight2022]

i’ve been on the waiting list for an ablation and the appointment has finally come up however I am really having second thoughts about having this procedure as I’ve finally been feeling very well lately after three years of highly symptomatic long Covid. Also I’ve only had one episode of AF in the last six months although I was on amiodarone and now on dronedarone . I’m having the ablation under general anaesthetic and I’m concerned that both the general anaesthetic and the ablation itself will cause me to feel very unwell afterwards. How long does it take to recover from an ablation? Will I feel very tired for more than a couple of weeks? I’m approaching my 80th birthday so no spring chicken! I live alone my husband having died from Covid three years ago and I’m just about learning to cope.!

[BobD Volunteer]

Any treatment incuding ablation is really for quality of life (QOL) so the choise is yours and yours alone. I'm a fan having had no AF since my third ablation in 2008. Regarding recovery we are all different but you may find the two fact sheets I will add to this post. They were written by patients for patients covering preparing for and recovering form ablation.

healthunlocked.com/redirect...

healthunlocked.com/redirect...

[KaliBill in reply to BobD]

Thank you for posting these articles, really interesting. I had a call Friday with a date for a cryoablation. Completely threw me as I've been waiting a couple of years after I went on the list thinking I would make the decision if I got to the top. Yet I'm still undecided. I started on Flecanide daily in addition to bisoprolol a week ago which seems to have made a huge difference except its also made me really tired. My problem is I would be due to fly to Turkey 2 weeks later, which they said would be OK but I'm also due to walk the Portugese camino a week after that which I've not mentioned to them. I'm thinking I may Nedd to cancel that. I'm concerned if I miss this offer of a date it could be months again. Your links have given me a great deal more to think about

[Rambler398]

I would arrange to see your Electrophysiologist privately before going ahead. He is in a much better position to answer your questions than we are, since he knows you and your history much better than we do.

I would not choose to have another ablation. I’ve had two, the second of which failed within weeks and was complicated by prolonged post operative delirium which was probably due to the general anaesthetic, though cerebral micro infarcts were considered.

[HGates in reply to Rambler398]

I had a consultation with an EP back in 2021 & will never forget his words…’’Asking an EP if you should have an ablation is like asking a barber if you need a haircut.’’ I appreciated the honesty!

[TopBiscuit in reply to HGates]

😂

[Buffafly]

I wouldn’t want to be on dronedarone for the rest of my life but if it suits you why not? I can’t answer your questions because we are all different so you can’t really tell if you’ll recover quickly and well. My AF is a lot worse than yours but my cardiologist wasn’t keen on my having another ablation at 79 and I agree with him because it’s time out if my life and I’ve got comorbities that make it harder for me and less likely to be successful. I’ve ‘lost’ three years through Covid and my husband’s illness and death and I’ve had enough but that’s me and I really have little knowledge of your circumstances so only you and your EP can decide.

[secondtry]

I would postpone the ablation for 12 months ie request a new date explaining you wish to try the medication for a longer period but want to remain in the queue should it not work. Best wishes.

[Karendeena]

Hi, I am almost 6 weeks post ablation and felt very much like you having waited over a year for the procedure, at one point I nearly ran away from the hospital but all the support here kept me going. I was very scared and my episodes were only every 4 months but very symptomatic. My EP reminded me that the beast wouldn't go away and would almost certainly progress at some point. He also said "Just think if you start an episode as you board a flight to Barbados and you have to sit it out for hours under a very stressful circumstance". Puts it into perspective as I was always waiting for the next episode.I didn't have a general anaesthetic but was sedated and whilst there were times I felt it they kept me comfortable most of the time.

I cant't say my recovery has been all plain sailing, I have had some digestive issues but probably caused by the PPI drugs you have to take rather than the actual ablation (will be off them this week hopefully).

I didn't feel particularly tired, in fact I had to stop myself doing things in the first week or two.

I stayed in hospital overnight but the following day I went for a short walk and out for coffee. That followed by walking every day and out for lunch 4 days later.

We are all different so it's hard to say how you will be affected. My heart has pretty much behaved (just the odd blip) but I am still in the blanking period.

I don't have any regrets and looking forward to the beast staying in his box!!

Let us know how you get on

[southkorea]

The trouble is AF will come back at some point. But you could decide to stay on medication or use the PIP approach. I have had two ablations the second when I was 76. I recovered within a week and the operation is fine. Good luck whatever you decide to do. I still have an occasional attack but they are less severe and can be managed at home

[Sixtychick]

I had an ablation in September, after having had Paroxysmal AFib since 2014. My episodes were not very often, but were very symptomatic and I was advised that if I had the ablation before the AFib becomes more frequent, it is more successful. I had it under a local with sedation. I was scared, but they looked after me very well. The success rate is about 70% or so, after 5 years, I have read, so hopefully, I’ll be one of the 70%. 🤞🤞Certainly worth going through with if it keeps the awful Afib away and you can come off the heart medication, as I am now slowly starting to do, although I have to keep taking the anticoagulants for life. Only you can decide, although the people on here, were very helpful and helped me to make my decision to go through with it.

[Morzine]

hi , yes I get your feeling because as we ar older the time left is precious and do we want to waste it sitting around resting in the early recovery stage. I’ve thought exactly that as I’m due touesday week to have my second ablation. I am younger than you 71 but have e hoed your thoughts. But I am goung ahead as my first one gave me four free years and the last afib episode I was flattened by and my main reason is I don’t want to keep thinking it’s coming back which the first ablation releived me of the worry it would. ( ok it csn come back as mine did but I had less worry as time went on)

Only you can decide if you will go ahead. If you do I suggest do things on preparation like get the freezer full of repeatable dinners for the first two weeks and really just potter st home two weeks .

After that slowly do short walks. My thing I did last time was walk to a cafe in morzine, sit drink, amd thrn walk back . And main thing is really listen to your body, in actual fact it will put brakes on and you will know if you’ve overdone things.

I’m not worried about the hospital but as they look after you well and it’s home befire you know it . I am a bit worried about after as my husband starting cancer treatment so we both are incapacitated at same time.

I do wish you well it’s indeed a tricky decision to balance up. I’m being an Osterich now and going to shut my mind off this week and get in the car Tuesday and go to the hospital !,,

Chin up and best wishes

Sue

[Magson]

My AF episodes became more frequent and I accepted the offer of an ablation. It was the right decision for me and has given me a better quality of life but everyone is different and ultimately it's your choice. Good luck going forward.

[doodle68]

Hi midnight , I put off having an ablation thinking my few symptomatic episodes of P-AF didn't really warrant one at the time. I could have one later if things got worse .

I hadn't reckoned on Covid making the ablation waiting list longer and my episodes of AF suddenly increasing rapidly to become 'persistent' with a high heart rate that completely reduced my quality of life and I was in despair.

After 8 months of persistent AF I had a cryoablation under sedation. How I wish I had spared myself months of misery and had the ablation earlier. before things got so bad. The ablation was not nearly as as bad as I expected even though I had bleeding from the groin and damage to a nerve in the groin which is extremely rare.

The ablation after such a long wait was only partially successful and I have daily Flecainide to keep me in NSR. Even so the difference to my life is immeasurable, even with severe osteoarthritis in hips and spine I have a degree of QOL again thanks to the ablation .

These days ablation is recommended early on along the AF path. I would say to anyone we are all different and need to make our own decisions but if your AF is symptomatic as mine was beware , if it progresses be prepared for a miserable life. I was told that as AF progresses your heart may tolerate it better, mine didn't and I found myself in a living nightmare.

I would always recommend an early ablation for anyone with symptomatic episodes of AF .