Unsure if I could cope with another Ablation

[Roseyuk]

My second ablation in early April this year, was a catastrophe ,

A they were playing catch up,in the catch labs, as one was out of action.

I was due to be the sixth in the daily list, but as I had travelled a 3 hour journey to the hospital. I was sent down as third patient.

It started well,in the UK we are given a sedative, I remember my first one, and had no problems,

But this time, when the catheters were inserted, they tire the lining if my heart,

Which started my AF off, at that point they put me out, to insert a drain for the blood build up.

I woke up and felt a lot going in in the middle of my chest, which is where they were attempting to put a drain In, but failed and had to insert it in the side of my left breast.

Then they tried the ablation again, but still in AF,

According to my GP s letter they burned some of the arteries, but they decided to do a cardio version to get me back into sinus rhythm.

An experience I'm still recovering from,

Yesterday after being AF free , bam went u to a 3 hour attack, , was gutted as I had built up my confidence, that I was over AF,

Took my sotolol and waited, trying to keep calm.

I'm also on Warfarin, and probably will be fir the rest if my life.

I'm seeing my EP next month, 4 weeks later than I should have seen him.

I need to know exactly what happened, as pie was only told so much after the hospital stay, . I had a check up with my GP yesterday, that's how I git to see the discharge letter, which is quite different to mine,

are we as patients allowed to ask for copies of the info from the hospital,

as I really believe that big mistakes were made,

I'm scared to have another ablation, but I also am fed up of having frequent attacks of AF..

I've also had a previous HA in 2004 with 2 Stents..

What is any ones opinion as to how I should proceed .. Please

[rosyG]

It really sounds as if you need more information to help you to know what to do next. Is there an Arrhythmia nurse at the hospital where you had the ablation? You could ring the hospital and ask if you are unsure. If not, tell your GP or the hospital that you would like an earlier appointment with the EP/registrar to discuss what happened and the way forward.

If someone can come with you and if you can get a list of questions you would like answered it may help you to get a clearer picture- I know I always forget something I had meant to ask unless I take a (long!!) list.

[CDreamer]

Hi Rosy so sorry you had so many problems with your ablation and have returned to an AF attack.

To answer your questions - you are entitled to copies of every piece of correspondence between your GP and specialist but you need to register for it so go into your GP surgery and ask at the reception desk. Go to the hospital and do the same - there will be a for you need to fill in. You will then receive copies automatically from now on. Retrospectively every surgery has different policies - mine will happily print me out a copy of any letter but charge me accordingly - usually about £10 - but if I ask my GP directly she will often just press print whilst I am there. The charge is to cover administration costs.

If you had a bleed, do you know what caused the bleed as there could be many reasons. Most people in your position will be anticoagulated for life.

As to advice - once you have copies of the letter to your GP - maybe seek a second opinion is what I would do - we are not medically trained so unable to advise you medically. Are you concerned about negligence? If so what would you want to do about it?

Things went wrong with my ablation as well, not to the extent yours obviously did, I woke to find a nurse jumping on my chest because my heart stopped. There had been several technical failures but luckily, I was ok and believe it was the expertise of the team that pulled me through, despite the difficulties. The difference between our experiences is that everything was explained to me and I had copies of all correspondence so there was transparency and I think this maybe what you need now - bit of transparency.

My ablation was Mar 2014 and I am still AF free and very grateful for that. By the way - it is around the pulmonary veins they burn - not your arteries.

[BobD Volunteer]

I can understand your worry but please don't get too far ahead of things. You are still a long way from fully healed and things may well settle down.Three to six months is normal healing time from my experience.

You can ask for copies of all correspondence of course. Many hospitals have a tick box in the forms you sign for this. You should also always ask for copies of any ECG or other test results. You are wrong to say that in UK we only have sedation as it depends on each EP and how he/she likes to work. All three of my ablations were done under GA which I was glad about although there is a theory the recovery is quicker under sedation.

You have obviously been very unlucky in that tamponade is extremely rare as are most of the risks in ablation but they are risks so I doubt that any malpractice took place.

I know what I would do, having been AF free for seven years since my third ablation but only you can decide. As I said already, early days yet so don't give up. In any case, the EP may feel that another ablation is not appropriate in your case so it could all be academic . Try to stay positive.

Bob

[Roseyuk]

Thank you guys,

For you're quick replies, I appreciate it, I will consider, what to do next. And my consultation with my EP, Doctor next month.from you're advice

As far as I know their is not a specialist AF nurse at the QE hospital Butmingham

Even so, it is a four journey from where I live, I get to see the EP guy at my local hospital in Telford , that holds a clinic at once a month.

Whatever the outcome, I doubt any negligence claims, would have a successful outcome, for me..

to be continued 😌

[lizwright]

After first ablation w ith only sedative I insisted on GA for second and third and consultant said, funny most people do that.....