EP Study

[JLN07]

New to this site after being diagnosed with AF in Feb 2018. Due to undergo an EP Study in a couple of weeks (1st appt cancelled a couple of weeks ago) and feeling rather anxious (to say the least) about undergoing this procedure.....not sure what to expect from both the procedure and afterwards (I live alone) even though I have watched a video and tried to read up on it. If I a honest I am worried about being able to control my anxiety enough so that I don't end up looking and feeling like a prize idiot at the hospital. Sounds ridiculous I know! Any advice would be greatly appreciated as feeling rather pathetic/foolish and getting ridiculously stressed at the thought.

[BobD Volunteer]

As the old saying goes, "The only thing you have to fear is fear itself." I can't offer any words of wisdom any EP study I had was prior to /'during my ablations but even those were a non events. I used to say I would rather have an ablation that root canal treatment at the dentist.

Read all the fact sheet available on the AFA website as knowledge is power to dispel fear and remember many of us have been there first and still talk about it.

[JLN07 in reply to BobD]

Thanks for your response Bob, much appreciated - need to dispel my 'fears' on all accounts.

[Hidden]

Everyone is bothered (understatement) about what's in front of them and in my experience, the staff are exceptionally competent and supportive. One kind lady said to me: 'My job is to monitor you and I'll be watching like a hawk from start to finish'.

Shop before you go and fill your freezer with easy meals. There's no telling how you will feel after but some have to remember to take it easy.

[JLN07 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, sound advice and believe it or not I hadn't thought about having easy meals ready!

[Hidden]

I was like you. My EP suggested a general anaesthetic. He said it would be good for me and good for him!

My first ablation took 5 hours and I would not have been able to cope with that under sedation.

I was fine after the first ablation. Second time I was bonkers for a couple of hours after waking up. They said that it was due to the GA.

Maybe you could ask for a GA though it does have to be planned in advance and they may put back ypur procedure

Worth asking perhaps?

[JLN07 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, thank you for replying and your suggestion, certainly food for thought.

[Hidden]

Hello JLN07 and welcome to the place you would rather not be! You probably have seen the two main fact sheets BobD refers too, but I’ve added a link below just in case. Also, go into YouTube, search for “British Heart Foundation ablation” and there is a video for an ablation being carried out by Dr Mark Gallagher at St George’s Hospital, London. As it happens, he did my ablation last Friday.

If you are having a Cryoablation, the procedure is generally quicker and recovery can also be quicker but all the criteria explained in the fact sheets still apply. I had one over 2 years ago with sedation and if things start to get uncomfortable, tell the team and they will increase the sedation. Friday’s ablation was a Radio Frequency (RF) which burns tissue rather than freezes it. It’s generally a slower process, very often used to touch up any “missed bits” and often, but not always, done under a general anaesthetic. In my case, I was in the cathlab for 4 hours. Apart from a bad reaction to the GA I was quite comfortable lying still for 4 hours after the procedure. I was only sick when I first got up to pee but when back in bed there were no problems. When I was home, midday Saturday, I had some minor tightness around the chest and from Sunday there was a small degree of breathlessness which remained, on and off until yesterday. Also my heart rate dropped to 43 but has now returned to 60+. The bruising in the groin was extensive (photos £5 😉) but no pain or discomfort. At the moment, feeling OK but will follow the recommendations in the fact sheets!

I see you live alone, so make sure you follow Rellim’s advice and fill the fridge ‘n freezer and you should have someone staying with you certainly for the first night. Make sure you get some help numbers prior to discharge just in case you need some help or reassurance. Inevitably, people will react differently, but I hope this long and turgid post will help you understand what’s ahead. The staff at St George’s were fantastic and from what we see here on the forum, this is generally the case elsewhere....best of luck, and let us know how you get on.

heartrhythmalliance.org/res...

heartrhythmalliance.org/res...

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

[JLN07 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, thank you for your response and the links (most helpful) and, of course your welcome to the place I would rather not be! I am not sure what's going to happen on the day as cardiologist said he wasn't going to do an ablation but then again, time will tell. I guess I will just have to go with the flow but be as prepared as I can be....for both before and after.

Wishing you a speedy recovery

[Hidden]

If you have persistent AF, it’s possible they will want to carry out a cardioversion (stop and restart) your hearts which is done under a general anaesthetic. If the procedure successfully returns your heart back to sinus rhythm and you feel better as a result, should the CV fail at a later date, it could lead to a possible treatment plan which could include an ablation. If you want to know about the cardioversion procedure, there is information available on the AF Association webpage.