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how long to wait for ablation

Nantoone profile image
46 Replies

I have been told I need an ablation and wondered how long I might have to wait on the nhs list. Heart rate went over 200 this last weekend so very anxious to get this done as quickly as possible

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Nantoone profile image
Nantoone
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46 Replies
Buffafly profile image
Buffafly

Hi, they give you a waiting time but you can ignore it, especially if you are available to take a cancellation (you have to tell them that). People with an urgent need often get a surprise! 200 bpm is scary, hopefully your rate is now under control.

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toBuffafly

Thank you Buffafly for answering. I’m not sure if 225 would make it a little more urgent or not. Absolutely happy for a cancellation too. I hope you are keeping well and your ablation has kept you in normal rhythm.

wilsond profile image
wilsond in reply toNantoone

If I were you I'd contact your surgeons secretary and advise them of your situation and that might get quicker action such as a cardioversion whilst waiting or bump.up the queue.Offering to take cancellation appointments is always welcomed by the team too.

What medication are you on meantime? Could your GP or pharmacist advise you?

Good luck xx

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply towilsond

Hi Wilson’s. Just pull in the pocket. Can’t take beta blockers. I am in normal sinus rhythm thankfully so don’t require cardio version.

wilsond profile image
wilsond in reply toNantoone

Hope you get in soon for ablation, wonderful fir me xxx

Teresa156 profile image
Teresa156

Hi Nantoone,

I believe it can vary a lot from where you are having it done and dependant on which NHS Trust it is, so you may get quite a few different answers here.

As Buffafly says, tell them you are prepared to take a cancellation. It is usually at least a few months otherwise. The first is usually a cryoblation ( not always but usually I believe) and if you ask for a general anaesthetic with that, rather than sedation, I think the wait may be longer as well.

I also hope your rate is now under control.

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toTeresa156

this would be London. I would definitely want a full general anaesthetic. Have been rushed to hospital three times in as many months because of this. Hoping they will be sympathetic to this

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly in reply toNantoone

As they said you *need* an ablation I should hope it would be soon x

Teresa156 profile image
Teresa156 in reply toNantoone

Is this your first ablation? I have seen a previous post about you having had one before? If this is the case, it will be a GA, but a different ablation to your first. Just make sure you tell them you could have a cancellation.

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toTeresa156

Hi Teresa. Yes my second The first was 19 years ago but for ventricular ectopics. This is now atrial

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena in reply toTeresa156

My first one at Glenfield was RF ablation under sedation

Teresa156 profile image
Teresa156 in reply toKarendeena

Yes, I read first ones are usually sedation, but I think Nantoone as already had an ablation, so this may be her second, in which case, it usually is a GA ( from what I’ve read).

Desanthony profile image
Desanthony

Just make sure that you tell them you are available for a cancellation. If you have the NHS App you should be able to check on the waiting times on there I know friends of mine in Oxfordshire can - not sure if that is available elsewhere. I myself am still waiting for an e mail confirmation of my details to get on the App here in Wales - it was just made available the week before Easter at our surgery. If not ring the hospital and speak to your EP's secretary and ask and tell them again that you can be available for a cancellation at the same time.

All the best and hope you don't have to wait too long.

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toDesanthony

Thank you so much for your help.

bean_counter27 profile image
bean_counter27

I am surprised they haven't tried changing your medications, especially if they expect an extended wait for you to have ablation. They appear to lack empathy for what you are going through.

Sarah1356 profile image
Sarah1356

I would call your cardiology team and let them know that your heart rate has risen again.Is it staying up or coming back down quickly???

Mine can stay up for over two hours, which is absolutely awful but on those moments I always take myself to a&e. They say if it lasts longer than 20 minutes then go to a&e. You can also do the Vagus Manoeuvre at home to try and bring it down yourself.

Usually they would try you on other medication to help keep you in a normal rhythm but they also stop that medication a few days before your ablation. So I would definitely give them a ring to see whats going on.

I hope that helps a little....

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toSarah1356

It has come right back to normal. Nothing for two days. Hoping it stays that way

Sarah1356 profile image
Sarah1356 in reply toNantoone

Fingers crossed for you

50568789 profile image
50568789

Have been on waiting list at Papworth for 26 weeks now, despite availability for cancellations, was told probable wait is 30 weeks so fingers crossed not long to go.

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply to50568789

Hi. Thank you for your reply. I really hope you aren’t editing too much longer. 26 weeks is a long time

Karendeena profile image
Karendeena

Hi, I am in Leicester and had to wait over 12 months for Glenfield Hospital

Speed profile image
Speed

8 months at Brum QE dispite saying available for cancellation though my AF is not that intrusive.

Icecreamforme profile image
Icecreamforme

when you’re in AF with the heart racing, any wait is too long. In your case, 225 it is a trip to A/E or call the ambulance. Don’t wait if it stays up around 200 plus.

You might be given meds in the meantime which can bring that rate down, but nothing will happen if you accept the usual flow of things.

We are selling up in the U.K. to go back to the Channel Islands. Reason? The NHS is not supposed to stand for No Health Service, but I’m afraid it does. Sure we have to pay £68 to see a doctor but we see one within a day or two, and if it’s urgent that wait is reduced to hours. A/E is expensive (typically £500) but again you get treated. Hospital stuff and consultants are free. I’d give it a B- and the U.K. an F.

They do try hard here, but there just isn’t the money and I find that to be deliberate by the government. I feel so bad for the elderly living off one of the worst pensions in Europe at the mercy of an NHS in its death-throes. U.K. citizens deserve better.

Sixtychick profile image
Sixtychick in reply toIcecreamforme

Can’t complain about the treatment I’ve had in Leicester. When I get AFib, I have to go to A&E, as I get a very fast and irregular heartbeat and my blood pressure soars and the Drs like to keep an eye on me and try to stop it. I get an ECG quite quickly and when they see that, I usually get taken round to Majors. I was well looked after when I had my ablation last year, as well. (I’m hoping the nasty AFib will stay away now)

Let’s hope when we get a change of government, later this year, they do something about the NHS.It is so important to most of us in this country.

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toIcecreamforme

Wow. That’s a drastic move but totally understandable. We all want the best from life but need a life to live.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman

I believe that waiting times are around a year, here, at Leicester hospitals, but vary nationwide.

Are you having symptoms beyond the tachycardia that causes you to want an ablation? So far (fingers crossed), my AF can be coped with by trying hard to avoid the stress of the palpitations and racing feelings and avoiding doing much at all till it passes. The specialist I saw told me last week that he thinks an ablation is the way I will eventually go, though, but I'd rather not.

I was intrigued at your heart rate measurements. As it's not possible to measure the ventricular pulse while the atria are in AF (as the rate is "irregularly irregular", i.e. all over the place), I was wondering how you arrive at the 200bpm? My Apple Watch gives an average but it's rather meaningless looking at the actual pulse - fast-slow-fast-fast-slow!

Steve

Sixtychick profile image
Sixtychick in reply toPpiman

Dr Sandilands at Glenfield, has done over 2000 ablations, so if you had him, you’d be in very experienced hands.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toSixtychick

He’s the best!

Steve

Sixtychick profile image
Sixtychick in reply toPpiman

Yes we’re lucky to have him at Glenfield.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toSixtychick

I do hope the unit stays at Glenfield. It seems rather special. Maybe pulsed-field next!!

Steve

Sixtychick profile image
Sixtychick in reply toPpiman

I’m sure it will. I believe Glenfield is a renown heart hospital.

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toPpiman

Hi Steve. The paramedics came and this was on their ecg. Thankfully they gave me a copy for the cardiologist

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toNantoone

That's excellent as it will be a 12-lead ECG with an AI type analysis on it. The 200bpm will still have been an "average" (to put it mildly). Still - that's fast. Are you on bisoprolol or similar? And how did it make you feel?

Steve

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toPpiman

Hi steve. I can’t take beta blockers as they make me feel so ill. To be fair I was breathless and got a blinding headache but if I hadn’t been told I would never have guessed it was that high

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toNantoone

I do wonder if it was that “high” in one sense - the irregularity of the pulse makes it too hard to count. I have seen 180 on my watch a few times but just as often 130. Your symptoms sound just like mine but I don’t feel exactly “breathless” more needing to take a breath (sounds similar, I know - but I’ve read of “air hunger” here and that is nearer to it).

Don’t you have anything to take to bring the racing down - like a pill in the pocket type treatment? That can sometimes stop the arrhythmia itself.

Steve

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toPpiman

Hi Steve. Yes I have the pill in the pocket which I took within ten minutes. It took around two and a half hours to start coming down.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toNantoone

That's about the same with me. My doctor said bisoprolol takes about an hour to work but I think it's slower. I still notice its effects over a day later, too.

Steve

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toPpiman

Hi Steve. I see that you had an ablation for atrial flutter in 2019. Have you been stable since then? If I were on any medication prior to the ablation (just thinking if things change before I get a chance to have this procedure) would they take me off of them prior to the ablation? Or do you stay on them up to the day before? Also are there any tests that they do prior to the ablation? Do you have to go into hospital say the day before to prepare so to speak? Sorry so many questions.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toNantoone

Oh - keep asking! You'll find this forum a treasure trove of useful stuff and friendly people! Mine was for a related arrhythmia called atrial flutter (AFl, which happens mainly in the right side of the atrium, with AF being mainly in the left side around the pulmonary veins). As I was warned, an AFl ablation often "uncovers" a hidden AF, which slowly happened to me since 2019, with more frequent episodes this year than ever.

In terms of the preparation, I think you'll be told to keep taking the anti-coagulant, which seems strange, but to stop any other drugs the day prior to the procedure (it's called that rather than an "op" for some reason. Maybe it's because a surgeon isn't doing it?). The doctors seem to like it if the AF is in process when they do the work, but it isn't necessary. there aren't any test, although an echo-cardiogram (i.e. an ultrasound of the heart) often is done to make sure everything is in the right place and is the right size!

Steve

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toPpiman

Thank you Steve

Tamgirl profile image
Tamgirl

I was told 12 months at the beginning of this year and had the ablation last week!

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toTamgirl

Wow that’s great Tamgirl. How are you feeling? Relieved and a little better I hope

Tamgirl profile image
Tamgirl in reply toNantoone

Feeling good so far thanks. This was done at Bristol Heart Institute - I live in Gloucestershire.

Nantoone profile image
Nantoone in reply toTamgirl

Where about about in the country did you get yours done?

MWIC profile image
MWIC

mine was 9 months but think it varies a lot depending on where you are - ask to be put in the cancellation list as this may speed up

Sixtychick profile image
Sixtychick

I had to wait 18 months for the procedure at Glenfield hospital in Leicester.

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