Ablation update!!

[Lizty]

Hi all,

thanks for all supportive comments at the weekend re my low inr - 1.9 - pre Monday's ablation. I took an extra 1mg on Saturday night and the reading was up to 2.4 on the morning. Hooray! I didn't realize that the ablation takes place in a lab in St Thomas' hospital, not really an operating theatre. I was five hours under with about 4 hours of a procedure and then back to the ward for close supervision via my own bleepy monitor. Staff busy but supportive. Nurse had told me that they zap the veins so that scar tissue forms to block the rogue electrics and this scar tissue can take while to build. Interesting. Yesterday morning I had a brief feedback from the registrar who asked if it was my first ab. (!!) and then ' was it in the family.' Answer to both was yes...... My question. When will I know if it works? Answer was as expected.. up to three months and then catch up with EP. IMPORTANT. What he also said is that sometimes the heart rebels and tries to revert back to its previous pattern... but they are all working hard, learning more all the time to prevent this happening and EP was currently happy with my results. (though I got the impression that mine was bit more complicated than expected) Got back yesterday with sore chest, sore throat and wonderful hematoma on top of my thigh!.

Today I am tired but feeling a lot better. Thanks again to all who responded to my cry for help at the weekend! Final comment - this is a wonderful technological approach to arrythmia problems (afib and aflutter in my case) Can highly recommend the attention and care you get. Will keep all updated on the progress. Happy days!

[meadfoot]

Well done, take care and rest plenty. Don't push yourself in any way, give your body every help by taking things easy. You are under the care of a great hospital in st Thomas s. Excellent medics.

Be well.

[Lizty in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks....indeed. It is wonderful to be at the cutting edge of this work.

[PeterWh]

Great it went well and very good you posted.

However two weeks of doing NOTHING. I was told only TV remote, iPhone and iPad (not a computer) for the first week and very little more the 2nd week.

[Lizty in reply to PeterWh]

Thanks Peter. I know you are right. I really have to practise this doing nothing stuff!

[PeterWh in reply to Lizty]

It is really hard. I know I've been there!!!

[BobD Volunteer]

Well done. It is a shame you hadn't read the AF Association booklet on ablation as a lot of the things would not have been a surprise to you. What is now very important is not to over do things. Just because you do not have a giant zip up your front doesn't mean that your heart hasn't had a good kicking (technical term that). My nurse told me to do nothing for the first week and not a lot more the second. You WILL get some funny turns from time to time which is quite normal so don't panic. It takes at least three months for the scar tissue which blocks the rogue impulses to form so anything can happen while that is sorting itself out.

The multi coloured swap shop which is your groin will fade to grey in time and I found that a good guide to when I could start doing things again as when that starts to heal so has your heart.

Bob

[Lizty in reply to BobD]

Thanks so much for this great advice Bob. Yes, my pulse is still quite high and my chest a little sore. Any desire for going out anywhere has disappeared and I am taking a day at a time. The worst after effect is the sore throat and cough from the breathing tube!... so am resting my voice today after too much talking to worried relatives yesterday!

[Dodie117]

I had my first and only ablation in Nov 2013 in st Thomas'. I had lots of arrhythmias for about 5 months but gradually settled down and all clear since then. Is you ep Mark O'Neill? Are you on any meds? I was taken off meds except anticoagulant on day of ablation.

Good luck and hope it works for you 🍀

[Lizty in reply to Dodie117]

Thanks - that is reassuring.... I have a quick pulse and some erratic beats which I suppose I expected. Doctor was Michael Cooklin.. very sympathetic as I was highly symptomatic switching in and out of sinus every day.

[Lizty in reply to Lizty]

Only med is warfarin....

[Dodie117 in reply to Lizty]

I think that is unusual as most people on here seem to be on rate and/or rhythm control drugs for varying periods post ablation. Like you I was not. I was on bisoprolol while i waited for the ablation but taken off it on day of ablation.

St Thomas' have a different policy??

I too was very symptomatic having 5 and 6 hour episodes most nights. After ablation my resting heart beat was higher than usual and although settled down it has stayed a bit higher than before ablation and is in high 60s low 70s now.

Anyway fingers etc crossed for you.

Marie

[Lizty in reply to Dodie117]

Thanks Marie.....i was taken off bisoprolol as it dropped my bp too low. Tried digoxin which wasn't much better and then got the hospital call before I had gone back to low dose bisoprolol, Guess I ought to check my discharge paper which is still in my overnight bag!

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Lizty]

Raised heart rate post ablation is quite normal. Mine was up around the mid 80s for some time. I think about six or eight months before it gradually dropped back to normal 65-70.

[Lizty in reply to BobD]

Bob...where is the link to that booklet? I have tried to access it through this page without success....

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Lizty]

Go to the main AF Association website and look in "Publications" and you will find many fact sheets and information booklets. Happy reading.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to BobD]

Just reviewed it again and it is still there. Very good too.