Ablation

[Robert185]

Thank you for replies. I am having trouble with website won't let my reply under my questions I have asked for some reason. I have been told to carry on taking rivaboxban so I have to trust what they say. I know there is a bleeding risk but my AF is getting a lot worse now. I use to have an eposide every six weeks lasting about 20 or so hours now it is every 5 days and can last double that amount of time. So I guess I feel safer to not stop it, I am in AF now.

My worry is as AF is so much more requently is my ablation less chance of being successful ? I wish I had had it done along time ago can't wait for Fri now.

Rob.

[rosyG]

Don't worry about the length of time- We have had some speakers at our support group , consultants, who have said some patients who they thought would havehad a lot of fibrosis because of the length of time in AF didn't and others who had short periods of AF had more fibrosis- which makes success harder with ablation - at least success at the first or second go.

It's very individual and I am guessing may depend on other factors affecting your heart health

So good luck and be realistic- we have many people on the site who say they needed a little tidying up after their first ablation

[Hidden]

I had AF for a long time, then it went 24/7. First I was put on drugs which stopped it very well, but after a couple of years I had an ablation because the side-effects of the drugs were bad and I couldn't work.

The EP told me that because my AF was 24/7 an advantage was that they would know straight away if they had got it or not. He was quite confident that it would be successful and is was 100%, and immediately. I came off all drugs except anti-coags. He said my AF might return after 5-15 years and they would do another ablation to tweak it. That did happen after 8 years but instead of ablating it I'm on drugs again, but no side-effects this time .

My ablation was literally a doddle. It was done just under sedation although they knocked me out when they started ablating because it started to hurt. I felt brilliant after a few days. I didn't know I had a heart at all, it was weird and very nice.

Have a good one.

Koll

[Hidden]

PS. this site is not working properly for me either. I just tried to edit the above post to correct some grammar but to no avail.

[Dodie117]

I had ablation 2 years ago. I had been having about 4 episodes per week lasting 6 to10 hours. The ablation was a success. Also, kept on warfarin throughout.

Good luck 🍀 and try not to worry.

[BobD Volunteer]

At HRC yesterday Dr Gupta told us that with NOACs it was normal to just not take the tablet on the day of the procedure as the half life was so short. Regarding whether or not increased episodes means less chance of success I would say that since we are all different then there is no criteria one way or the other.

Bob

[PeterWh in reply to BobD]

I would also add something that was said a couple of times during the day is that different hospitals have different policies as to when to stop and when to restart and some don't stop at all (this applies not just to NOACs but also Warfarin and other medicines).

[Robert185 in reply to BobD]

Not long now until Friday, getting more nervous the thing that worries me is that they have to punture a whole in your heart to get to the other side to do the ablation, this sounds so scary or is it normal procedure ?

Rob.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Robert185]

Quite normal. Since the entry is a vein and all veins end up in the right atrium they need to make that puncture to get into the left atrium.