My husband has been offered a catheter ablation for AF. Saw consultant last week and it looks like waiting list is 4-6 months (Royal Bournemouth NHS), We have our 50th WA this year and have booked a special holiday next April ( 3 weeks one week visiting friends via bullet train in various parts and then 2 week cruise around Japan). If the procedure doesnt take place until say mid Feb or early March (worse case) then should we still be going on such a holiday? I am a terrible worry guts and am already fretting over this. I dont think he should have it after 2nd week of Feb if an appointment after then comes through as he will need time to get over it and for the heart to heal. We are using a huge chunk of our savings to do this one off holiday and have to pay the balance at end of this year - should we cancel it or go ahead I just dont know what to do. should I speak to the Arrhythmia nurse to see what her recommendation would be?
Ablation and going on a holiday - any... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Ablation and going on a holiday - any thoughts
What a dilemma ! We have our 50th WA this year as well ( 2 weeks time) and as one with very unpredictable AF was unsure what to do...
The first thing that comes to mind is what about delaying the ablation until after your holiday. If your husband is coping ok then I would have thought that was the best option. Personally I would not contemplate such a holiday so soon after ablation . He may be perfectly alright but bear in mind thst it does take several months for the heart to recover.
I assume that you are fully covered for AF on your insurance policy and they are updated on pending ablation? Most important .
Sandra
Hi Sandra thanks for you post and congrats for your forthcoming Golden WA. Yes we do have AF covered on the single travel policy we took out for this trip but I just dont know what to do. My husband is becoming so depressed with all this and although I have just printed off all the advice notes on the AF website about ablations and made him read it all, I dont think he realises how this procedure could really knock him for six. He says I worry too much. I dont think he will want to delay if an appointment comes through as he is so fed up with it all. He was feeling so well when I booked this holiday - he had a cardioversion last October but went back into permanent AF on 3 June. When he was first diagnosed 6 years ago, the AF jumped in for just a few days and then disappeared for months but in the last 3 years, it seems to get stuck. Last year he was on that awful amiodorone medication prior to the c-v. I am sure it will all sort itself out - thank you again for replying.
Have they mentioned anything about going on tykosyn. I was put on that and keeps me inNSRmost of the time. Had to see an electropgysiologist and he put me on. My cardiologist is trained in the tykosyn route so I get checked every three months. Only thing with tykosyn is you have to be monitored in hospital for three days while going on it. Good luck.
Thank you Cutlass, have never heard of tykosyn - sounds Japanese!
No I live in ny area. There is a generic but is still expensive. Generic is called Dofetilide.
Yatsura means “those guys” in Japanese
Ha! I did wonder....when I joined I thought Yatsura was going to be my password not my ' name'! Maybe I should have changed it. It came about from a band my son used to follow called Yuresei Yatsura....
Sandra
Then you get “those guys who shake their voices” which is appropriate for a band I guess. Although “shaking ones voice” reminds me of the late/great Dennis Rusos.
I would not really consider a holiday so soon BUT how realistic is the 4 to 6 months? I could be wrong but suspect it will be much more judging by most people's experience. I think Sandra has it right. Do the holiday and fit the ablation in when possible. Just take the usual precautions and talk to insurance company etc BEFORE booking (They may not want to cover) plus good hydration, zero stress in travelling so give extra time etc.
Thank you Bob. We have already booked and paid for a large chunk of this holiday - if it were my decision alone I would probably cancel now and try and get that money back from the insurance company. I know there are lots so much worse off than us but its like you have to keep putting your life on hold and we may not have that many years left - I wish we had never booked it and that I didnt worry so much. I think we just have to go on last minute holidays in future and we cant plan too much ahead like we used to.
Thanks again for your response.
Can I suggest that you phone the hospital and ask for an update on the ablation waiting list. You may well find that the wait is longer due to urgent cases brought to the fore.
In my area , Brighton, the wait is 10/12 months . I am waiting for ablation no 4.
We try not to book hols too far in advance now after last year's debacle which saw 2 cruises cancelled at not insubstantial loss.
Sandra
Sandra, many thanks for your extra comments. We will be talking and trying to sort out what we do over the next few days. Take care
Please talk to your travel insurance people first before you do anything else as you may not be happy with what they say. They will often refuse cover if one is waiting for a procedure or still trying to get diagnosis.
Thanks Bob, I think you are right. I have already spoken to them about a cruise we have booked for December and because John is on a waiting list for the ablation they will not cover him for the AF or any related illness whilst we are on that or if we have to cancel because of it beforehand. I had not thought about that applying to the April trip - do we go to Japan without adequate cover is what is means if we ask hospital to schedule in after our return as suggested by Flapjack.
Thanks so much - to all of you for taking the time to response this afternoon.
Sorry to pipe up again!....Are you really contemplating a cruise without cover for AF or related illness ? Think carefully. If you did need care ashore, depending on where you are, this could prove extremely costly in some circumstances. I was advised by cardiologist some years ago to make sure I had full medical cover when on cruise holiday.
There are some companies that DO cover you whilst waiting for procedures such as ablation for AF as it isn’t thought to be a life threatening condition. You will need to ring around but I have been covered by travelinsurance4medical.co.uk/ you which is part of the same company as WorldFirst many times when other companies wouldn’t touch me as I have multiple conditions.
Something came up for me after I booked a Saga cruise and they told me I wouldn’t be covered and I would have to cancel the cruise - and that was 4 days before we were due to go - I was furious as they wouldn’t allow me to board without. I got alternative cover and it cost me £39 less and I had a lovely time in Iceland. Ring them though, many companies will refuse applications on-line but persist!
Do not give up on your dream holiday, but don’t even contemplate going without insurance unless you have unlimited resources or are prepared to chance having to sell your ho e to pay medical bills should you be unfortunate enough to need them.
AF shouldn’t interfere with your life plans. Best wishes CD.
Hi Jerseygirl I got holiday insurance cover while I was on a waiting list for an ablation it was with Allclear a lot of the other insurance companies wouldn't cover me while on a waiting list
Thank you Ladypaula. What I dont understand is why they will not cover John whilst he is waiting for the procedure. They accepted the risk and gave us insurance knowing he has AF - he could have opted to just put up with his condition as it is now and not go on any waiting list and then he would be covered but he wants a decent quality of life and I want that for him too of course but they now wont cover him for the AF or any related heart problems because he will be on a waiting list. If he were to go ahead with the ablation prior to us going away and then something happens with his heart whilst we are away we would not be covered. I cannot do that - the stress would be just too much and it would ruin the whole holiday. I will let everyone know what we finally decide and the outcome.
thanks to you all again.
Hope you manage to sort something out .It is such a dilemma for you both.xx
Thank you for your earlier comments Jerseygirl, I too understand your dilemma. We had planned a “big” holiday to the States to celebrate our joint 70th birthdays and I had my ablation around 2 months before leaving and I’m pleased to say all went well for us. However, you would be cutting it fine especially as these things don’t always go exactly to plan and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to do anything that could jeopardise your insurance. From what you have said, you were both content to make the trip prior to knowing about the ablation, so if I were you, I would ask to have the ablation as soon as possible after you return. The chances are, given the current climate, the wait will be at least 6 months, possibly even longer. If you try and do anything else, (other than cancel the holiday) you will both be on a knife edge. You are likely to be climbing the walls in the months prior to the holiday and all the stress will not do either of you any favours.
It would be such a terrible shame to cancel and miss a trip of a lifetime so why not let the hospital know when you will back home and ask the schedulers if they can book you in as near to that time as possible. It would certainly be a good idea to talk to your Arrhythmia Nurse. I am sure the hospital will understand your situation and will be happy proceed when you return......send us a card!!
Thank you so much Flapjack - I am overwhelmed with the fact that I've had so many responses - will take all on board and we have to rethink the whole thing. take care
The four to six month timescale seems ambitious in our current NHS situation, it may well be longer unless of course you are offered a cancellation. Also remember scheduled procedures are sometimes cancelled at the last minute for other emergencies etc. It's far from an exact science these days sadly. You could get it done quickly if you went private but that is very expensive but a solution if money is available or if you have private health insurance.
Perhaps you need to take control of the situation, as far as you can of course. Can you contact the hospital consultant or their arrhythmia nurse for advice on recovery, your husbands current state regarding safety in taking a far away holiday prior to the ablation and also how realistic the ablation timescale given actually is. There is insurance to consider and whether if your husband has the ablation after your holiday for example are you covered with a procedure pending. Also in his current af situation with our without the ablation are you fully covered. For your own peace of mind you need as many t's crossed and i's dotted before you make a final decision. The stress alone in advance will impact on you both if things aren't stacked up as fully as possible.
It's so disappointing having booked and paid for such a special holiday and have it tainted but health has to come first as we all know. Good luck.
Thank you so much for your reply and advice - so much appreciated
Please do not think of going on the cruise without insurance cover. I went on cruise to the Caribbean with my sister a few years ago and the worst situation happened. She was in her 70s but perfectly fit and well. Had a routine health examination a few days before departure and declared fit to travel long haul.The first night on board she had a heart attack and died. The grief and heart ache was almost impossible to bear but without travel insurance back up and help I would have feared for my sanity. I say to anyone thinking of travelling without insurance Please Don't it just isn't worth it.
My heart goes out to you.
Thank you for your advice. Can think of nothing much else now than this holiday and the predicament we now find ourselves in. Almost certain we are going to cancel.
I am just about to start to read all of the responses - I just cannot believe how so many have responded to my post of yesterday - with good advice - thank you ALL so much.
I definitely wouldn't go on holiday so soon after an ablation, it takes your poor old heart a time to heal, and you have to restrict your exercise etc until the heart is healed. It really took me two months and quite a bit of nursing myself to start to feel better, and on top of that I have had to go back on tablets because of the jumping of the heart, even after a three month period, my specialist said just because you haven't got a scar up the centre of your chest doesn't mean that you shouldn't take it as easy as having open heart surgery, the heart has been under stress because of the ablation, much the same recovery period.
Thank you Leeson. Pleased to read you are slowly recovering. Take care
Hi. I had my 1st Catheter Ablation on Tuesday 8th of May, then 2nd on the 5th of June. Both times rested up for the next day, then OK. Just be careful no Marathons etc lol.
Thank you Tassiebeef. Glad yours have gone so well.
Have a chat with your ep's / cardiologist's secretary. There is a fair chance that she will be involved in the timetabling of the operations and should be able to give you a realistic timescale.
Another option is to go privately, much quicker but more expensive.
Thank you - I am going to phone tomorrow to try and find out what the wait time is.
I had my catheter ablation 4 weeks ago. I have been camping twice since. On the weekend I did lots of gardening and moving trees. I feel great. At first I was tired and had those dreadful visual type auras that lasted about 10 days. But now I feel better then ever, so much energy and sleeping well too. That is just my outcome but everyone is a individual and recovery is different for everyone.
Pleased to read that you have had such a positive experience - yes all are different but we dont know how my husband will fair. Hopefully well but I know we have to consider everything and I dont want to go away without adequate insurance cover.
I would try and pin them down to an actual date or see if you could get it done via another NHS trust maybe ! The waiting list in my area is 3 months I am told but it does seem to vary alot across the country !
Good luck getting it sorted !
Thank you Andy. Another hospital close to us is Bristol but I have read on this forum that the wait is even longer there.
Like Tassiebeef your husband could feel fine after an ablation and many do and have to remember to take it easy. However your view that the procedure could really knock him for six is also valid, although it seems a very pessimistic one. Perhaps a private appointment with your EP could be helpful (and money well spent) to discuss how complex he feels the ablation may be. And how about consideration and treatment of the AF he's now having to put up with?
I've a feeling that EPs may tend to be over optimistic about recovery from ablation - more so than the forum - so asking when your husband should be fit to travel may give you an answer you find uncomfortable.
AF can feel like a giant millstone round the neck and it seems to be spoiling your anticipation of your holidays. It can be so good when you make it take a back seat, and you go travelling and triumph! AS CDreamer says, you can get cover whilst waiting for an ablation even though it puts some insurers off. I do hope you'll heed her last two paragraphs.
Do let us know how things unfold.
Thank you Rellim2. Yes I am a born worrier and it does drive my hubby nuts but I cant help it. This was to have been such a special "Golden" year for us and we have told our friends in Japan we are visiting next year. We will sort it and we will live with whatever decision we make. We still have each other and if we can never book any more holidays in advance again that's not the end of the world. Must keep everything in perspective. We have been very fortunate, retired early and did a lot of travelling before AF - so we got that right. Take care
It can be fun to go away on the spur of the moment.
Another insurance firm you could try is Staysure, it is the one our travel agent used and we used it, not the cheapest but they asked sensible questions.
Our holiday was a short European rail tour and it was exhausting! I would save the train section of your holiday for later, much later, if possible.
Thank you Buffafly. I will eventually post the outcome and what we have decided to do.
If your cruising Japan, let me know! I know an excellent E.P. Should need arise. Great health service and reciprocal agreements with the UK.
You could have an ablation in japan privately for 20% of the cost as privately in the UK.
It’s much cheaper.
Japan is love. Shikoku especially.
I’ve been here 5 years now. blimey times gone quick, when I first joined this forum I thought I was gonna die in like a week.
Great to hear from you, was just thinking and hoping you might pop up when I first read the post. Best wishes
Thank you Japaholic. We have been to Japan twice before - for our 25th Wedding Anniversary in 1993 and again in 1997 - so our last trip was over 20 years ago. We are booked on a cruise right around Japan and I am sure it will be fabulous but I have the feeling we wont be on it. I just hope we can get our deposits back - a lot of hard earned cash. Glad that you seem to have caught up with some old contacts on this site and are doing well.
Good to hear from you again Japaholic! You sound as if all is well !
Regards
Sandra
It’s a difficult call. If you can cancel the holiday without a significant charge and rebook for later I would be inclined to do that. From posts here the period post-abalation can be very unpredictable. Another problem might be insurance. I’m sure this isn’t what you wanted to hear and I don’t like being negative, but in this case I think it would be better to postpone.
Thank you Samazeuilh
I still lurk, unless I have something to add from personal experience that is.
I work full time, have a young family (7&10 y o) and live in a stunning place.
Keep fit by cycling, swimming and hiking. Had to give up martial arts due to risk of brain injury being on thinners.
I’m still over weight (which I gained after diagnosis) which even after going 80% vegetarian and cutting portion size I can’t shift.
I still have AF but it’s manageable, before the ablation it was soul destroying.
Now at least I have a life.
Best wishes to all, old and young, new members and long timers alike
choice between meds and ablation 
Thoughts on AF during blanking period, post ablation. 
on holiday with afib episodes and still enjoying it. 
Ablation last Tuesday...thx and exercise thoughts
