Another idea if deciding about ablation

CARMA facility in Utah has developed a method to measure atrial fibrosis with cardiac MRI to see if it correlates with ablation success. Currently in long term, multi-facility studies. It is difficult to guesstimate why one patient has a higher level of fibrosis than another. I tested in the 3rd category with lower odds of ablation success, but couldn't tolerate drug side effects and really trusted the skill of my EP, so proceeded anyway.

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"I tested in the 3rd category with lower odds of ablation success, but couldn't tolerate drug side effects and really trusted the skill of my EP, so proceeded anyway."

......and......did it work Lorna?

I had mine just to get off the drugs, which were working but with difficult side-effects. The ablation worked for a long time I'm glad to say.

Koll

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Only 13 days post-ablation, quiet so far except for one brief episode of the "thumps," meaning HR 38-44. Able to stop flecainide, but still take diltiazem and warfarin. During ablation EP was able to remove some fibrosis. Time will tell

[jennydog]

I am very interested in this. Thank you for posting the details.

I have considerable fibrosis which I consider to be due to radiotherapy on my left shoulder. It was only discovered during my ablation so my odds of a successful ablation reduced from 70 to 50%.

As an ablation increases the amount of scar tissue I suspect that it's chicken-and-egg.

It's good to know that work is being done to help solve our problem.

Best wishes.

[Finvola]

Thank you for that information. I'm currently using drugs and will continue whilst they do the job, hoping against hope that ablation techniques and outcomes will get better. Such developments as you describe are one example.