ablation and time between

[Someonesmother]

I am just curious as to how long between ablations most people have had to wait. I had an aborted one a week ago and I have to go back again for another one. Haven't seen the cardio yet so thought I would ask here fro those who have experience with these things

[CDreamer]

Hi, wondering why it was aborted? I had my 1st in Nov, had breakthroughs after 10days, my EP wanted to bring me back within 8weeks but in the end it was over 12weeks as my husband had to have a pacemaker fitted and I needed him to drive.

[Someonesmother]

I have wolff parkinson white syndrome and when he was trying to stimulate my heart to map the activity he got 4 burns done and I went in to afib and in the end had to stop as he had to do cardioversion 3 times in increasing strength to stop it. He told me the next morning I have a complex case as the pathways are widespread, I have a 'very nasty' tachacardia and he needs to get a team together for the next attempt. He put me on verapamil 180mg which were ineffective and I went up to 240mg 3 days ago but they don't seem to make any difference either. I have had continuous palps and extremely fast beating heart since December, it never slows down ever, I get no break from it so I am keen to get back in and get the second one done. Just wondered what others experience may have been.

[Digger48 in reply to Someonesmother]

Not quite sure since your history is so complicated but I hope some of this helps.

74 y o male had my first ablation exactly to the day 7 years ago Halloween Day. Before that I was episodic afib for 30 years ..

6 months ago after getting Covid-19 the 2nd time I went into persistent afib and had my 2nd ablation . The surgeon doubled checked my left atrium, said the pulmonary veins looked good , found one hotspot from the 1st ablation , fixed it; thought it would be a 30 min procedure. He shocked me back 6 or 7 times only to see me slip back into afib. He moved to the right atrium it was clear and he was baffled. Upon further searches he identified a “ hornets nest “ about 3 inches up into my superior vena cava. It’s a very fibrous area, he did the best he could, it’s close to the pherenic nerve, that controls respiration, it has to be treated conservatively. ( I’m happy he did )

Fast forward 5 months I took a quad valent flu shot for seniors and 2 days later back in afib. I went back in for surgery #3

They went back into my SVC to further clean it up and the ace kicker. Ablated my tricuspid valve that was the culprit of not afib; but later determined to be atrial flutter with a characteristic “ rapid ventricular response of heart rate of 140 bpm. I doubled my dose of Toprol from 100 two x daily to 200 two x daily it’s dropped it to 130 bmp.

Can’t believe verapamil doesn’t bring your heart rate down…so so sorry.. I take 1:4 of your dose when I’m a little shaken and it helps. On an as needed basis.

But the rapid rate ( does it feel like taking your thumb and first finger about an inch apart and tapping them together as fast as you can ) The heart is not beating out of your chest just a rapid taptaptaptap ) That s flutter and it could be coming from your tricuspid or mitral valve. on your right side. It’s easier to work on and success rate is higher ..

Key point. Recovery is slow. Remember scar tissue forms massively between day 6 and day 21 so first 3 weeks do next to nothing. Start returning to your old level of activity after 3rd week and increase 10% per week from there. My third . I know. And also scar tissue continues to shrink for first two years. But the max is between day 6 and day 21zz

[BobD Volunteer]

Personally I would hope at least three to four months to allow the heart to heal properly from the first one. I had about a year between all my three.

Bob

[Someonesmother in reply to BobD]

That could be a problem I am off overseas in June! hahah

[CDreamer]

Hi Bob what you say is quite contrary to the advice of my EP who felt it would be far more efficacious to perform them ASAP, before the rogue pathways recovered fully. I guess every case is different.

Someonesmother, it does sound as if you do have a complex situation and it must be hard to have to wait not knowing. I had Fib and Flutter and Tachycardia and my 2nd ablation was aborted mid procedure as my EP was attempting to ablate the Flutter. Luckily it has still made a huge improvement and although still only on day 10 so early days, am feeling much, much better with only 2minor breakthroughs. Hope you hear soon, it is such a pain when you can't plan. We are off to Spain next week, as long as I am AF free! Looking forward to sun, sea and R&R!

[Someonesmother in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks CDreamer. I have my daughter's wedding on the 5th April then another trip Easter weekend for an aunt's 80th then to US in June so I have some busy times coming up and hoping I can get it done sooner rather than later. Cardio told me he will do his best and is not sure if ablation bought on afib or it is a second condition. I also have an autoimmune disease so life is interesting to say the least.

[CDreamer]

Yes it really does sound as though you have a full bag there, but it obviously doesn't stop you! Hope you get it sorted soon.

[Someonesmother in reply to CDreamer]

I try not to let it stop me too much but I do a lot of resting on the weekend so I have the energy to get through the work week. I struggle some days and just barely hang in there til knock off time. This WPW has really impacted and added to my already exhausted body so I am struggling a bit and now after the ablation I really am even more tired. Almost went to the hospital yesterday as my heart is just outrageous and doesn't seem to appear to want to slow down at all, but think I will wait and go to GP on Monday morning as A&E is just the pits, 17 to 20 hour wait to see a dr and then it is not much help anyway.