Is it better to have General anosetic for an ablation how will I feel after
Ablacion: Is it better to have General... - Atrial Fibrillati...
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Fleconide
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It's rare to have a General Anaesthetic I think. It's done under a local anaesthetic at the entry site in the groin and some sedation to keep you still and calm. Well, at least it has been the case in 4 of mine.
One occasion did result in me passing out and needing intubation so you will be starved in case it happens to you.
BobDVolunteer
It may not be your choice to select. EPs have different systems with some always using a general anaesthetic ( GA) whilst others prefer sedation. Some procedures such as the quite rare laser ablations need a GA so that the patient is immobile.
As for how you feel that is a difficult question. You will not be skipping out of the ward for sure but we all react differently, have different levels of coping etc . There is a very good fact sheet on Recovery from an Ablation on our AF Association website under patient resources which may explain many of the thing you might expect.
Glad to get this question. There was no offer of "local anaesthetic" for me so it never occurred to me that you could be awake while an ablation is being performed. I was under anaesthetic for the operation - it was flutter ablation and apparently as soon as they started to fiddle with my heart, I went into AF and they had great difficulty getting me out. I'm not sure that I would have enjoyed being awake for that.
I have had 3 ablations with sedation and 4 with General anaesthetic.
I found sedation intolerable and for me GA was infinitely better.
On the contrary I have read many accounts of those who had sedation and found it to be a walk in the park. They furthermore were fascinated to watch what was going on.
From the hospital ‘s point of view it is less expensive to encourage sedation as the procedures are carried out without an anaesthetist.
Some EPs prefer to have the patient anaesthetised and others prefer sedation.
It may well be that you will not have a choice but if you do it is a case of how you view the options.
Pete
My EP always insists on GA, thank goodness, especially as my first ablation was over 7 hrs
I had a good experience of ablation. I was sedated and don't remember anything but did feel a bit of discomfort twice and remember calling out "it hurts". I must have been given more sedation because I don't remember a thing after that. You have to lie still for a few hours after the procedure to allow the entry site for the catheter, which was a couple of pin points in my groin, get a chance to settle and not bleed (I think that's the reason). I walked out of the hospital on the same day, feeling better than I had in a long time. I would definitely have another one if needed. Hope this helps you and good luck.
I had mine done under GA. Not sure I fancy it with sedation.
My EP always carries it out under GA and then you stay in overnight.
Would not even consider sedation, I’ve had two ablations under a general and now waiting for my third.
Have you been given a date yet Redders?
Nothing yet Jean probably another year lol
I have had three ablations with sedation and it was fine on each occasion except that I remember nothing of any of them. During the first my heart spent most of the time going into AF and I had 6 cardioversions while blissfully oblivious. I went home later the same day. I have felt fine after all three ablations and had to make an effort to take it easy.
With a GA it can take you longer to recover and I'd certainly opt for sedation again. However, with sedation, the question is do you babble incoherently - or, worse, ramble semi coherently? With a GA you are not going to say anything dodgy or amuse all present.
UScore in reply to
Ha. i vaguely remember having an absurd conversation with the nurse in the recovery room about 10 minutes after the ablation finished. I wish I could remember what it was about because she found it hilarious.
in reply to UScore
This is the worry! Perhaps people coming round from a GA babble too.
UScore in reply to
Nothing wrong with a bit of babbling. I'm sure the nurses don't mind at all.
The good thing was I was too spaced out to get on the internet/social media and babble to the world!
in reply to UScore
Who knows what one might do! I spent a short while afterwards resting on the top of a huge vase of chrysanthemums, conveniently placed somewhere handy. Huge blooms, yellow and purple and not far off two feet in diameter. Surprisingly supportive and very comfortable as I recall. I was chatting to someone at the time ...
in reply to
Rellim,
Delighted to hear you were on top of the Chrysanthemums and not they were on top of you...
Cx
Eadaoin in reply to
😂
in reply to
Mefinks they are a bit pre-occupied and their minds or on other things.....but might be worth searching YouTube for babbling patients!
in reply to
Ooh no. I might find myself! I am already online sleeping at a concert. The pianist finishes and everyone applauds - except me.
I had two ablations one cryo for afib and one for rd fir flutter. Both under light sedation - watched the screen on both. No problem at all . The actual ablation part is a bit painful but had worse at the dentist. It does not last long. The group. Has a local and I felt nothing either time. Minor soreness after.
Sorry it won't let me edit post: should have said " RF for flutter". Also the "Groin had a local" not group.
I had mine under sedation and it was fine. It was actually quite interesting and I got told off twice for lifting my head to try and look at the big screen they were using to look at my heart. I wanted to try to follow what they were talking about, but couldn't concentrate properly because of the sedation.
I had a bit of a weird indigestion-y pain towards the end, but that stopped when they stopped. And then I spent 3 blissed out hours listening to music afterwards.
My advice would be to bring headphones, because I wasn't allowed to move at all for a few hours. And music sounds awesome on diamorphine!
It all happened around 2pm, lasted under 2 hours, and I felt fine by the evening, although I stayed in hospital overnight which I quite liked as I found it reassuring.
I had mine under sedation. This wasn't a real problem, I was asleep most of the time, just waking up a couple of times with mild discomfort but I soon went off to sleep again.
I'm very glad I just had sedation, my ablation lasted 5 hours. GA can have long term effects including memory loss. Older adults (those over 65) have been found to experience up to 35% more dementia. See: "Exposure to general anaesthesia could increase the risk of dementia in elderly by 35 percent"
eurekalert.org/pub_releases...
This was published by the European Society of Anaesthesiology
I had an ablation last March without general anaesthetic and the hardest part of it was keeping still for nearly 4 hours. No problems though.
I asked my EP if I could have GA as I was soooo nervous and he said that if I was under GA dead asleep, it sometimes was not so successful as nerves sometimes made the heart erratic and therefore they could see exactly where to zap. He didn't exactly use those words, but that was the gist of it. In other words they seem to think these days that sedatives (if you want it) make a more successful ablation than general anaesthetic
Good luck and honestly I wouldn't be so nervous another time as it was not bad at all.
I queried my EP on he GA rather than sedation. He replied that is a long time for me to keep still. I understand that he stimulated the extra electrical activity he needed with medication.
Im so glad all went well. Yes I did know about the stimulation and the trolley/bed was a weird shape (I likened it to an extra large cricket bat with your back on the narrow end!!!) However I was awake all the time and my EP kept talking to me so although it was at least three and a half hours, it didn't seem so bad.
I hope you stay well
I had an ablation under sedation it was fine. It took a bit of trial and error to get the right dose, but I slept through most of it. In the centre I was treated at there is a substantially longer wait if you have GA due to needing an anaesthetist.
My RF ablation at St Georges was under GA.It was explained to me that the equipment they use to map the heart during the op would not tolerate any movement from the patient.
However I found the after effects of the GA quite unpleasant..
I have my first ablation booked and the EP has stated he will be doing it under GA as I have sleep apnoea.
Can I ask all of you that have had ablation.....I’m seeing the consultant in October and being done a couple of months after.....what about having the ablation and needing a wee.....i have a nervous bladder, when im worried I need to go to the loo more.....and having to lie still during and after?....has anyone had the need to go for a wee? I know this sounds daft but it was the first thing I thought of........
in reply to Morzine
You can't drink (or eat) for some hours beforehand. Keep going while you are waiting and, if you are walking into the cath lab, nip in on the way there. I've never had a problem afterwards but on one occasion, the nurses brought a bedpan for the lady opposite.
Morzine in reply to
Thanks!!
You won't have a problem. I also have a nervous tummy and I went a few times whilst I was waiting to go in and no problem as once you lie down on the bed it seems as if nature goes very quiet. Good luck
Unfortunately for me I have similar problems but mentally I find my plumbing packs up and on the past 3 occasions they have inserted a catheter during the procedure. It is then removed after the recovery period.
Not ideal but the only solution for me.
Pete
Thanks, I did wonder about a catheter....I’m in France so will be at a French hospital....I see the guy for assessment early October....I didn’t want to ask him as it’s bad enough dealing in French without bringing up my worries about going to the loo........
The first time for me was a crisis and when they scanned me I had over 2 litres in my bladder.
On the subsequent occasions I asked for a catheter. Not a wonderful experience but the lesser of the two evils.
Don’t forget it is all in a day’s work for the medical profession - they have seen it all before.
Pete
On waiting list for my first pulmonary vein isolation/ganglionic plexi ablation which will be under GA. Have also checked if I need a TOE (trans oesophageal echocardiogram) that will be done whilst under GA too
I had a GA because I don't react well to opioids. It was very easy and I had virtually no bruising in the groin which I think might have been more with sedation because I might have moved more.
My two procedures have been with sedation, fortunately no issues for me. During the second one I did wake and remember seeing the screen which looked very interesting. I asked 'the man' how he was doing and he said 'just going to burn' and I did feel them! Not unpleasant or painful, just made me wince slightly, more unexpected than any hurt. Then they must have tweaked the sleepy juice and I went away again. Fascinating, almost makes me wish I had pursued another career.
