Ablation due August

[Suzanne-Cheshire]

I have had an ablation for flutter but now I need the ablation for fibrillation. I had read that the procedure was uncomfortable but I found it painful. Can anyone who has had this share their experience, please ...

[froggy4x4]

Yeah, I have a fairly high pain tolerance so its hard to offer anything apart from experiencing a very soar and dry throat, not even much discomfort in the groin area where they go in from really. I'm not far off 12 months now since my ablation with no AFIB episodes in that period - the cardiologist whom performed the ablation is a genius. Even the ectopic beats are subsiding now. So I hope you have the same or similar experience I have had this time around.

[Mazza23 in reply to froggy4x4]

I have been advised to have an ablation as you do not live far from me I was wondering if you could tell me the name of the cardiologist

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to Mazza23]

Well, I am actually going to Hammersmith Hospital under Dr Wynn Davies. I asked to be referred there after his name was put forward to me from a very helpful commenter on this forum.

[froggy4x4 in reply to Mazza23]

Dr Nick Stoyanov - he is brilliant.

[Mazza23 in reply to froggy4x4]

Are you in australia

[froggy4x4 in reply to Mazza23]

Yes... on the West Coast though.

[Mazza23 in reply to froggy4x4]

Me too my EP is Dr Justin NG

[froggy4x4 in reply to Mazza23]

Oh ok... when is/was your ablation?

[Mazza23 in reply to froggy4x4]

Front know yet have to see cardiologist next week tell him my decision then they will arrange it

[froggy4x4 in reply to Mazza23]

Righto... do you know which hospital yet? My procedure was performed at Hollywood.

[Mazza23 in reply to froggy4x4]

Charlies

[froggy4x4 in reply to Mazza23]

Hope it all goes well for you if you go ahead with it.

[ginnee in reply to Mazza23]

if u r in qld the prince Charles hospital the best had mine done just over two weeks ago

did not have a GA

[ginnee in reply to ginnee]

I have had pain all day today but drove the car y/day maybe that's why

[Mazza23 in reply to ginnee]

I live in Perth so will be going to Sir Charles Gairdner hospital not till November as I will wait till my daughters get back from England

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to froggy4x4]

I thought my pain tolerance was pretty high but it wasn't on this occasion. I am glad you are doing well post ablation. Fingers crossed the experience will be worth it

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to froggy4x4]

That seems a brilliant outcome, I hope my fears of pain are just stupid.

[Susiebelle in reply to froggy4x4]

Hi - who performed your ablation ? Many thanks - Susie

[BobD Volunteer]

My three PVI ablations were all done under GA so no problems at all. Flutter is easy and much quicker so you may well have GA . They need to go through he septum into the left atrium which can be tricky and they don't usually like you too frisky.

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to BobD]

GA would be preferable, I feel better knowing that this is likely.

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to BobD]

Did they give you a choice ? GA or sedation?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Suzanne-Cheshire]

No there was never even a discussion about it. Different EPs have different ideas. Sedation often gives a faster recovery which is why many do it this way.

.

[Susiebelle]

I am due an ablation for flutter in August - but not so sure about ablation for atrial fibrillation ( had a stroke in 2010) and certainly do not want another but though on warfarin still at risk doe to the AF - I amso unsure about what to do

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to Susiebelle]

Well, the ablation for flutter may buy you time, I was told that I was very unlucky that the fibrillation started so soon after the initial ablation.

[Susiebelle in reply to Suzanne-Cheshire]

I am thinking ablation for the fibrillation - but the fibrillation is not a new diagnosis - I suspect I have had it ( off & on) for a considerable amount of time - it was diagnosed in May 2010.

I understand the longer one has had AF the less likely the chance of ablation working - is this so ?

Many thanks

[jennydog]

I had a GA for AF ablation. I had no pain at all. Apparently I had a cardioversion during the procedure but I would not have known if they had not told me afterwards. To my knowledge I did not have a t.o.e, so no sore throat.

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to jennydog]

that's encouraging, thanks for sharing

[CDreamer]

I had sedation but absolutely no pain during the procedure. Did you have an anaesthetist present? They are the experts in pain management so therefor the person to talk to, rather than the EP.

The sedation I received meant I had absolutely no memory of the uncomfortable TOE, I drifted in and out of sleep and hardly noticed the tie until they reduced the sedation and I started to come around. I had a painful oesophagus, caused by the TOE, a swelling in the groin ( perfectly normal, size of a walnut) and some chest discomfort, much, much easier than my expectation.

PS I have had 2 PVI ablation so for AF.

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to CDreamer]

I had sedation for the flutter ablation but was fully conscious throughout. I was taken aback by the pain level, and I thought I had a high tolerance to pain. No pain after though and none from the groin wound. If I am not offered a GA I will ask for much higher sedation level!

[Jason1971]

I had sedation and for the most part of it I had no problem. There were a couple of occasions I did have to say I felt some discomfort, but the was addressed by a little more pain relief and in the whole it wasn't that bad. I felt no discomfort afterwards other than a day or two chest pain. After a few days I felt as good as new

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to Jason1971]

Was your ablation for flutter or fibrillation?

[Jason1971 in reply to Suzanne-Cheshire]

I had the ablation for Fibrillation. The procedure took about 3 hours, but I was drifting in and out of consciousness, so it only felt like 10 minutes.

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to Jason1971]

Ok, thanks for getting back to me on this. Did they give you the choice of having a general anaesthetic?

[Jason1971 in reply to Suzanne-Cheshire]

Not that I recall. I read quite a few posts on this forum like yourself, and felt sedation wasn't a bad option, so didn't challenge it

[Roseyuk]

Hi Suzanne,

I had an Ablation last year for AF.. Although it was not successful, I can say it was not painful, I had a light sedation,..watched it all on the monitors.

I was adivised to have another ablation , which I had in April this year,

I guess I was just unfortunate but this one did not go so well, no pain but went into AF during procedure,and the catheter tore my heart lining,. And they put drain in, which they did under anaesthetic.

They also did a cardio version to get me back into NSR.

I still recovering, had one episode of AF,

Get to see my EP a Doctor next week for the 1 St time since,

Hoping he can shed some light on what happened as this Tamponade as it is called is very rare occurrence .

but I would gonthrough another if he recommended it.

😊

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to Roseyuk]

That was really unlucky, I hope your recovery continues well. Thanks for sharing.

[Pooble]

I had an ablation 8 weeks ago and yes I too found it painful. I have to have another one and I am going to ask for a general anaesthetic. I suggest you do the same. Good luck Suzanne!

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to Pooble]

Thanks. I will certainly ask for GA.

[Hidden]

Hi Suzanne !

I have had 3 ablations. The 1st two were under sedation ( 4+ hrs each ) & the 3rd one , mainly for flutter, under GA.

I was mightily apprehensive prior to my 1st ablation, to put it mildly, but it had to be done. I was well looked after ( 1st one in London 2nd & 3rd in Brighton ) & if I felt pain while sedated I just indicated & was ' topped up '. I can't say that there was any other pain involved. Most of the time I was ' away with the fairies '.

The 3rd ablation , under GA. has advantages, not least to the EP who doesn't have a wriggling patient to contend with.

I found the recovery longer after GA...in fact I felt b....y awful! Whereas after sedation felt pretty much OK straightaway.

Also, re the TOE...... this was done whilst ' under ' for my 3rd so didn't know anything about it. The 1st two ( sedation ) were done before the procedure so I was fully aware. I do not like them!!!

If you find it really painful then do ask for GA.

Hope everything goes well & do let us know how you get on.

Regards Sandra

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Sandra. I sounds like the professionals know when to step in with a GA.

[lepaul]

Hi there Suzanne I had diagnosis after a flutter ablation that is to say they found I had atrial fibrillation, for this I went to the London Heart Hospital, they were

Brilliant in there I felt no pain whatsoever , I had to go for two ablations and have been virtually free of af apart from a couple isolated short mild incidents so don't worry you will feel no pain only mild discomfort,

hope this helps, best wishes

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to lepaul]

Thank you, I hope that I have as good an experience as you and that my worrying is for nothing ...

[Susiebelle]

Hi - I am due ablation for flutter inAugust but so unsure aboutablationfor atrial fibrillation - yet so many in here recommend it - really don't know what to do

[Lainie2875]

I too found it very painful I would not have it again without GA was not given any sedation till I shouted out in pain then I got both morphine and a drug that erases the memory??? I went into AF during and had cardioversion but can't remember it .

[Suzanne-Cheshire in reply to Lainie2875]

That confirms it to me. A GA if I get a choice. Thank you for that

[Hidden]

I've had GA and sedation Suzanne. The sedation one was 10 years ago and I found it no problem. Time flew by and I felt very relaxed. I had bad AF so guess they did a lot of burning, and when they started I could feel the burning. I wouldn't call it pain but it was starting to be so I remember groaning, I immediately heard the word "morphine" and I went out for the count within what seemed like one second, then next thing I woke up in bed.

After both GA and sedation(+morphine of course) I had about half a day of feeling slightly groggy then I felt great, not just normal, absolutely great, like 10-20 years younger, must have been the drugs.

If I was having another I wouldn't be worried about having sedation and might well chose it. I enjoyed watching the screens, it was fascinating.

Koll