Anyone heard of this ?

[Psyshadow]

I'm 67 male.

I had a failed Cardioversion and, two weeks ago, a failed Ablation.

They are now considering doing a Convergent Proceedure.

Has anyone here had this done ?

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Hi Psyshadow

Well the convergent procedure is the surgical ablation and the catheter ablation simultaneously I understand, and no I am not sure I have heard of anyone here having one. We certainly have members who have had both surgical and catheter ablation, but usually the surgical first and the catheter later. It has a higher success rate I understand than a single ablation, although of course the surgical ablation is a more serious procedure.

Which hospital are you under I am curious.

Be well

Ian

[Psyshadow in reply to Beancounter]

Thanks for your reply, Ian.

St. Thomas's hospital.

I have been in permanent AF for a long time. I used to have maybe a few days in SN, but since going on bisoprolol, I stay in AF.

Trouble is, I had a bad reaction the the last anaesthetic and was hallucinating for a few days.

Bobby.

[ILowe in reply to Psyshadow]

Make sure you mention your reaction to the anaesthetic. Insist on it -- those who make a fuss get heard. Better still, get someone to speak for you. They take it seriously when someone else, thinking straight (not ill) speaks out. There is probably a range of chemicals they can use.

[Psyshadow in reply to ILowe]

Thanks for your reply.

The hospital took it very seriously and were very good about it. I had expected to be treated with ridicule, but this was certainly not the case and I appreciated their concern. I was due to also have a full knee replacement on 20th of this month, and was given a list of the anaesthetics used for the ablation to show the knee team. But, because of the ablation failure, my knee op has now been cancelled. I'm so annoyed within myself as I've waited almost six years in continued agony for the knee op.

Bobby.

[ILowe in reply to Psyshadow]

Sounds like a permanent ouch. How can you stand the knee pain? I wonder what the real reason is for cancelling the knee operation? I try to be cautiously suspicious and ask the right question. Could it be the knee surgeon genuinely thinks the heart problems negate the surgery? Or is it just a routine complication they would rather not have? Or are they looking for any excuse to cancel?

Since it is sometimes hard to get to the real reason you probably need to come at it more indirectly. Eg, What are the usual reasons for cancelling? How many knee op patients have heart problems? Which heart problems? Etc. Then you can pop the question, 'why me in particular...!!'

[Psyshadow in reply to ILowe]

No, it's because not enough time will have passed between the two operations. That was said before anyone knew the ablation had failed. But also, it is our lovely insensitive government' policy to the hospital that I be taken off the knee op list because I will miss the date through no fault of my own. Postponement of the op is not an option under government rules. I will have to go on a new waiting list !

Another six years mane ??? Grrrr !

[Hidden]

wakemed.org/heart-vascular-...

I have had two failed cardioversions since 2009. I refused Ablasion because of bad success rates. Question is how much tissue damage is good? Personally until proven I would refuse it.

[Ahamm]

Curious, did you ever get your Convergent procedure done? If so, was it successful? If successful, how long freedom of AF?