A little question but possibly a loaded one. Is there anyone out there that has all three of the above please? My ablation is booked and a decision to be made - by me. I have paroxymal AF
and long term bad breathlessness. I would love both to be cured. Please help - "To have or not to have" that is the question.
To have an ablation or not to have an ablation?
Do you want to continue as you are for the rest of your life, with the probability of the AF getting worse?
Do you honestly think that an EP would have offered you the chance of a £15,000 procedure if he were not confident that he could affect an improvement for you?
Would you live to regret not taking this opportunity ?
I know it's hard but it's a decision that we have taken too. I had lost confidence because I never knew if I would be able to function on a day-to-day basis. I had the ablation and I have no regrets.
Good luck and best wishes.
Jenny has a good point. I seldom if ever meet people who say they wished they hadn't had an ablation.
Apart from the fact that getting your heart tweaked is a bit scary, why turn the offer down? Not having an ablation gets you nowhere - except in a downhill direction - and as Jenny says, it would not be offered if did not have a good chance of success.
Grandkids keep reminding me I am old (until I bit their heads off) so yes. Ablation next February.
Many consultants and people on here quote AF begets AF. My view is sieze the opportunity now because even if it doesn't cure you (especially first time) the vast majority have improved quality of life. Even though I went back into persistent AF less than 72 hours after my ablation I do not regret having it for one moment and I am awaiting my second ablation. I had been told that in MY case there was no chance that it would work first time.
Even if they are not cured - which both were for me so far (TOUCH WOOD!!) - surely any improvement will be welcome to you ? It's a relatively straightforward procedure which doesn't even involve general anesthetic unlike what I thought was a far simpler nasal operation I recently had where the surgeon insisted I was put to sleep.
Your choice of course but you'll never know how much better your life could be unless you try it.
Definitely have it - it gave me my life back.
In Feb whilst EP was doing my 4th ablation he noticed pulmonary hypertension which might account for breathlessness I am still having. So I am off to see a respiratory physician this week. You may also like to know that it is thought that my AF begat my DCM which with ablations stopping the AF intermittently receded into diastolic heart failure and after last ablation EP says my heart is almost normal.
Thank you everyone. I now feel much better about the whole procedure. The help this site gives is tremendous.
Hope you decide to have it and good luck. I agree with all the positive advice.
However, I do believe that there is a tendency for those of us who have had an ablation to be a bit 'flippant' about what it's actually like. It's quite a long procedure if you have it under sedation and I was certainly nervous beforehand. The medical team were great and very reassuring throughout and, looking back, it wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be - the sedatives certainly helped. It took a lot out of me and be prepared to take it easy afterwards - it's rather more than having a tooth out!
I am having GA I believe. I will be alone at home for the recovery period so hope I dont feel too croggy.
I had mine under GA and felt fine after. If you are alone make sure you have food etc in the house for the first few days. I was uncertain whether to go through with it right up to the last minute as it is quite a scary prospect - so normal to be afraid! I have been free of AF foir two years and so given back my life. Good luck 🍀
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