HI All,
Been diagnosed with quiet bad SVT which needs ablation, on Bisoprolol 1.25mg from tomorrow whilst I wait.
I am just mentally trying to prepare myself for ablation as I am terrified to say the least!.
I Just wanted to know how anyone coped with ablation, How long was the actual procedure?, Is the recovery a long process? etc.
Hi Chevi
I notice that you have posted a fuller message in the BHF forum.
Firstly, it’s normal to be shocked and anxious when we get a diagnosis of a faulty heart. It happens to us all. It is also quite common that our initial reports of symptoms are attributed to anxiety - even my heart failure nurse told me that. You’re not going to die so don’t be scared or anxious - anxiety will tend to aggravate your arrhythmia. One thing to note is that we are all different: some people don’t experience typical arrhythmia symptoms and the medicines given to lower heart rate and BP are tolerated (or not) to different extents. Bisoprolol seems to be the favourite beta blocker to be prescribed and 1.25mg is quite a low dose. Some people have difficulty tolerating this low dose. If you can tolerate it your cardiologist may increase your dose. It’s function is to lower your heart rate, hence the advice you have received. You may need to take it a bit easier at work. Hopefully they will be understanding.
The echo and stress tests will provide essential details of the efficiency of your heart and will allow the benefits of your proposed ablation to be measured.
The ablation itself is nothing to fear. It is not surgery but a very routine procedure. You will be offered either GA or sedation (most likely you will not remember anything). I had a GA and, not having eaten since breakfast, I was tucking into a meal within an hour of having my ablation. I kept being offered pain killers after the procedure but, frankly, I didn’t need any. The AF Association publish several helpful factsheets including ones about preparing for an ablation and recovering from an ablation :
heartrhythmalliance.org/res...
heartrhythmalliance.org/res...
I hope this helps. Above all, don’t worry; nothing good will come of it. If you have any concerns the good folk on this forum will help.
Hi Ian,
Thanks for your message, some really useful information in it.
You are right its very scary and I think the worst part is waiting for those other test results to come back. I am just hoping the ablation is not to soon as I have a 3 week holiday to bali in November and would prefer its after. Have been told waiting list is very long though.
Its good to know so many people have had ablation and coped, Its really more common than Ii first thought. I suppose I had thought ablation would have been a last resort but in my case its a necessary.
I am glad to hear your ablation went well and I will defiantly be reading those fact sheets.
I had cryoablation in April in Edinburgh and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. I was sedated and I vaguely remember calling out "I feel that" then have no memory of anything. The procedure took a couple of hours and when I woke up I felt absolutely fine. I had two small pin prick size marks in my groin where the catheter was inserted and some bruising around them but no other problems. I was home later that day and have since had a couple of episodes of Afib (lasting a few hours) and the odd flutter feeling for half an hour, but now, after 12 weeks, I feel fantastic, better than I have in years, I came off Flecainide after 4 weeks and am due to see the Cardiologist on 1st of August when I will come off Atenolol. I was very careful not to push myself during my recovery, gentle walking to start with after a week and slowly increasing the length of the walks. I am remaining on Riveroxiban for anticoagulation. Please do not be scared of this procedure, I know it is still early days but I'm feeling great. I eat plenty fruit and veg, cut out as much sugar as possible. Good luck with the procedure and try not to worry.
Hi,
Thanks for your advice, really helps to actually speak to people who have had these procedures.
I will be under sedation, would have preferred to be knocked out lol.
Glad to hear ablation has helped you and for the most part everyone's feedback has been positive so far. I suppose our doctors know what's best and if we need it then we need it.
I have already had to cut out caffeine and I am dreaming of my coffee every day, suppose I can have decaff lol.
My procedure was 4.5 hours, but I was under GA so didn't know it 😁
Worst part was having the catheter removed 😧
I suffered no pain from the procedure.
Recovery was sort of 2 parts, there was the 2 weeks of doing nothing then probably about 3 months to get fitness back to pre ablation levels.
I'd do it again tomorrow if I needed one.
Oh, and I was scared to death of the procedure, I almost got up and walked out before they knocked me out
Hi Mike,
Wow hours sounds like a really long one, must have been quiet scary in the Cath lab all that equipment around you.
I am really happy that there is not much pain involved during recovery as this can be the hardest part. I have had two operations in the past and one was double jaw surgery lasting 7 hours and a 4 month recovery off work in agony so I hope this will be a walk in the park lol.
I bet you was petrified in he beginning and I am glad you stuck with it and done it, I am quiet sure everyone's resting heart rate shoots up sky high when they are in the room lol.
I think the lack of pain is a blessing and a curse, it makes you feel like you can do more than you should.
Actually when I was in the lab I was a lot less worried about things, I was introduced to the team, which was many more people than I expected. Some were there just to monitor what the EP was doing and warn him if he was getting too close to areas he shouldn't be. The technology was amazing and I'm glad I saw it.
Good luck with it all, and hope you have a great result and speedy recovery.
FYI I had my gallbladder removed by keyhole surgery recently, and that was far far worse
Thanks mike, I am looking forward to seeing the technology in the Cath lab just not the procedure itself lol.
Thanks for your kind words.
Hi can't really add to the excellent advice given above,have never had one but am waiting too.I have left my very stressful job recently and now know anxiety and stress made my A F massively worse.F
while you at waiting ,perhaps some of the excellent posts by Cdreamer here might be of interest to you,the ideas and links certainly helped me.
I do know how you feel!
best wishes
Hi There,
I agree stress makes things ten times worse, And often we don't even want to admit it and just get on and suffer. Glad to hear you are in a less stressful environment now it must help.
Have you been told how long the expected wait is for ablation at all, my doctor jus said very very very long and I assumed we may be talking 7 months +.
I will certainly check out those posts.
Thanks
12 to 18 months! Told them id be up for a cancellation!!! Hope all goes well.
This forum is very supportive xxx
Wow I think that's what very very very long wait means lol, good thing I am tolerating the Bisoprolol well!.
Good luck with yours and I hope a cancellation comes through.
Thanks!....keep calm and take the tablets love!!lol!
Had two ablations one in 2008 for permanent aflutter this lasted about 1hr I was awake throughout had some sort of morphine sedation felt a slight whooshing as the catheter was inserted in the top of my leg and I was told to tell them if I could feel any burning. Only felt a slight warming in my chest no problem. Told I could go home same day if there was no bleeding from the where the catheter was inserted . I had to walk up the ward and it started bleeding quickly went to toilet before the nurse notice and cleaned myself up so I could still go home 5.30pm 100% success. I had 2weeks off work to be on the safe side but was fine the next day as I am a manual worker.
Second ablation 2010 for proxy afib called pulmonary vein isolation lasting 5hrs again awake. Arrived at 8am unable to get a newspaper shop in hospital still closed . In waiting room sat down they all looked morbid holding hands with loved ones I thought these must be having heart transplants or something major I asked the receptionist where I could get a paper she said she I could have her Mirror .l gave her the money so she could get one later .We were all called at the same time taken the the ward told to put our PJ's on and get into a bed, all except me ,who was told just put the paper nickers on your in first ,yours is the big one! The op theatre looked like something off the starship enterprise felt reassured when I saw the amount of people in there, they were monitoring everything under the sun . I could see the catheter inside me on one of the many big screens . I asked could they put the match on after a couple of hours as it was getting rather boring .Some nurses were having a bit of banter with me but I was told off for laughing because you have to keep still.The doctors were discussing whether the free sandwiches they had at the conference the day before were M & S or not! At one point felt the burning, was going to put up with it but someone came over as it affected my BP told me off again and gave me more morphine.
Had to stay in overnight as it was a long op 5hrs . Told go take a week off work but took a month , but went back to early ,it took at least 3 months before things settled down.Consultant later admitted I had been told incorrectly by the specialist nurse on my pre op and said it can take up to six months after this type of ablation.
I know it's a bit long and boring a bit like the procedure if you can read through this your op will be a doddle. I hope this helps.
Just to add no pain and no pain killers needed after op.
Great description, was sorry afterwards I had been too panicked to take things in properly as the cath lab was awesome!
lol I really like your description, almost felt like a story being read to me.
Gosh I bet there is nothing worse than walking into an area full of gloomy people, I am the opposite whenever I have had any surgery I am nervous and end up chatting to everyone trying to lighten the mood lol.
Glad to hear you go to go home the same day, think if I was bleeding I would have done the opposite running around screaming for the nurse to help me. your second one was quiet long, I hope they managed to fix everything.
I got through the post so I am sure it will indeed be a breeze.
Hi Chevi
Hopefully the replies above will convince you that there really is nothing to be scared or anxious about. I don’t know why you aren’t getting a GA. I asked my EP why I was having a GA when many people just have sedation and he just said that it’s a long time to keep still 🙂
I, too, was surprised at the number of people in the cath lab, all buzzing about me with their jobs to do. It was really interesting to see.
On second thoughts, the most painful part was later, when they changed the dressing on my groin. They hadn’t bothered shaving me beforehand so I guess it was rather like having a wax 🙂. Perhaps the pre-ablation fact sheet should recommend you shave yourself at your bikini line beforehand 🙂
I hope your holiday plans aren’t affected. They sound great.
All the best - Ian
I know that at Glenfield there is only one team of anesthetists for the EP's so they have to share, therefore waiting times are longer. Due to my back condition I had no choice, but i'm glad i had the GA. There is no way I could possibly have been still for nearly 5 hours in the amount of pain i would have been in
Hi Ian,
I will be meeting with my cardiologist to discuss so I may probe further into asking if I can have GA, I am anxious so It would be in there favour if the job can be done with GA lol.
Gosh that does sound painful, bad enough when they take an IV off that's been on for a while that hurts!. Will take note for that.
I really hope its not before November as I would rather have it when I am back, I would not want any complications or recovery side effects whilst in the remote jungle lol.
I have had an ablation for atrial fibrillation on 27 June and have been advised to wait about 6 months to know if it has worked. Today, I spoke with the arrhythmia nurse and she said that the first 6 weeks can be 'iffy' with even worse 'episodes' and I've had two of those already (within one month). I was upset and scared but feel better now she reassured me it is normal for some people! I am very symptomatic with my episodes.
My ablation took 3 hours and I was under GA and afterwards I felt wide awake and quite normal, to my surprise, as though 5 minutes had passed. Also, I was happy to eat after my long wait in 'nil by mouth', due to an emergency taking my slot!!! Except I had to lie flat for 12 hours, and my pasta got stuck in my throat, so I advise you to choose the softest food possible! The catheter areas on my legs healed so well, no problem. I only felt slight achey, burning feeling in my chest area.
Hope this helps.
How wonderful are people on this site, giving their experiences and advice about what it can be about! Things we are not told always by medical staff at the time.
Good luck with everything!
I can only imagine how scary it is after the ablation to have episodes.
I have heard from many people the first 6 weeks can be iffy, that's why I don't think I will have it before My long trip away to se Asia in November. I think after ablation its best to leave any holidays till you are fully healed.
12 hours lying flat! my gosh that's a long time and I suppose they give you a bed pan to do any business in lol. I hate lying flat unless I am fast asleep so I cant imagine eating lol.
This site has been an amazing help, I am such a anxious terrified person the poor doctor when he told me I had ablation had to help me as I nearly passed out lol. But I have to say the people on this site have helped me massively in ways they wont even know!
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