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My French ablation

Morzine profile image
27 Replies

Hello everyone, after all my fretting, I’m home after my ablation and fine, well I’m dead tired and my throat really hurts and I realize the term “rest for a week “really means rest as right now my body wouldn’t let me do anything if I wanted I’m quite breathless.

Came home from Lyon , three hours drive in snow , my sone and husband in plaster came to fetch me. My stay in Lyon was good, all so kind to me. It was different to operations ivehad in English hospitals, and the regime was different. I had my own room and bathroom , I’m not private, just normal health service, everyone on the ward had their own room, you don’t see anyone, The regime was all about being very sterile! First night....All body hair had to be removed, then a shower wash in browny orange iodine, and a mouthwash to gargle with........early morning, another body wash all over in the iodine, another mouthwash.....special sterile towels to dry myself, plastic socks to put on...then a huge black gown made out of J cloth and j cloth huge pantaloons and plastic cap.....they thrn changed my bed to a steril sheet and I was wheeled to the lab.....transferred to a trolley which had like a waterbed rimaround it filled with warm water, which my arms and feet were on and nice and warm, and I was covered with a warm sheet......then unconscious.......about three hours .....then back to room in bed....my artery had some painful thick wad on it and I was strapped up with huge plaster wrapped round my leg and groin and round my hip tohold this painful tight wad in place. That stayed in place 24 hours till the next day, it was so uncomfortable, never slept all night as I had that thing, , a monitor, a heparin drip and another drip .after 6 hours I was allowed to go to loo with all my monitors and drips. .....next day they took all the plasters and wedge off and it was bliss no more pressure....I had two stitches removed.

So pleased to get home,especially as it was heavy snow, stopping on service at motorway to go to loo I could hardly breath with the freezing air . I must see my cardio in two months ....meanwhile continue Flecainade bisoprolo, apixaban.....and also some tablet to protect my stomach fir 15 days.

Anyone know why you take this? Why does my stomach need protecting?

I’ve a headache today and bad throat, back to bed soon....

I am humbled by everyone that’s had more than one ablation, I guess I’d go for it again of course, but I’d rather not with that 24 hour wedge!

Also thanks to everyone who boosted me when I was fretting before I went..... now I’m home with my husband in plaster, thankfully I’ve my daughter and son living over here nearby!!!

Sue

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Morzine profile image
Morzine
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27 Replies

That would be a Protein Pump Inhibitor medicinenet.com/proton-pump...

To protect your stomach from the apixaban

in reply to

I’m not medically trained Mike, but was not aware that Apixaban could cause stomach problems.

in reply to

Neither am I, but it was the reason given by my EP when it was prescribed to me

in reply to

Okidoki

All sounds very thorough Morzine, now you need to rest and let nature take its course as part of the healing process. Most people are prescribed with Lanzoprazol or something similar which helps to ease any inflammation in the throat and stomach caused by the TOE, the camera which passes down your throat prior to the procedure. Nothing to worry about, all perfectly normal. Added an AFA fact sheet just in case you haven’t seen it.

heartrhythmalliance.org/res...

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply to

Ah yes that’s it.....oh well I can understand that as my throat and larynx are painful I can’t really speak at the mo......

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply to

Yes I’m resting big time, thanks flapjack.

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly

I was told the burns are quite close to your oesophagus and of course there is the painful bruised throat so the PPI is to protect your oesophagus from acid reflux. In the past ulceration of the oesophagus was one of the causes of fatalities as a result of ablation but with modern equipment and medication thankfully not a worry now.

I can remember the wash only too well but otherwise your sterilising regime beat the one in my hospital hands down! Great it is all over and I hope it will be successful 🌈

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

So glad you are happy Sue. I think the ????prazole (PPI) to protect your stomach is because the ablation can cause irritation of the oespophagus and not for any other reason. BY the way. I only had to have a Brazillian! lol 😂

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply toBobD

They sajd men had to shave their backs!....

Ah yes think my oesophagus is irritated I can’t speak it hurts but better than yesterday.

Sue

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer in reply toMorzine

When I had my cartiladge done in 1963 I had to be shaved from the waist down by a ward porter using a cut throat razor and a pot of foam and brush in a jug. Far more nerve wracking than the operation I can tell you. He was VERY thorough!!!!

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply toBobD

Yikes bob!!....that is putting your life in his hands!.....

Kaz747 profile image
Kaz747

Glad it went well Sue. My EP said the PPI was because of the TOE and also because they had a temperature probe down the esophagus. I was already on a PPI because of a sliding hiatus hernia but he put me on a stronger one twice a day for a month. Enjoy your rest xx

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply toKaz747

Thanks Kaz......I’m not feeling bad at all if I sit still and not move, but I’m dead tired and breathless is I move around, throat hurts if I talk....I'm now being bold in my brain and thinking about an Australian trip at the end if the year .......tom my husband says wearily, “wait a while sue”......I can at least plan eh.......

Sue

Kaz747 profile image
Kaz747 in reply toMorzine

Yeah, I want to start planning our Greece trip for next year. I just need to get things under control first. If you come to Australia, make sure you include Perth. There’s non stop flights from London to Perth so you can head here for a bit then go to east 😎

Jt222 profile image
Jt222

All the "normal" things w/ablation in any country! Not really for the Eliquis(apixaban)which can give you some digestive tract problems, but i've been in it for two years and dont take anything anymore. It has to do with anesthesia and acid reflux after ablation. It's called GI protective therapy to protect the esophagus and stomach. The procedure gets that area irritated and susceptible to problems, as you know with the hurting throat(the heat sensor syndrome lol)! You'll most likely be on the Eliquis much longer than the antacids. AND REST MEANS REST! Good recovery!!!

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply toJt222

Thanks jt222....I had no idea the esophagus was affected, I did wonder why this operation has caused me such an uncomfortable throat and tract...it really hurts too much to talk much.....I’m sitting with cat in lap and resting, we are rather trapped even if I was healthy, heavy snow outside and my hubbys leg is in plaster!

Jt222 profile image
Jt222 in reply toMorzine

endotracheal tube is inserted down your throat (I actually woke up two different times while they were pulling it out and thought I was choking to death!) after you are asleep along with a heat sensor if you have rf ablation. It's so they can tell if your heart wall is getting too hot. Your esophagus moves around and gets right up against your heart sometimes and they dont want to burn anything they dont need to!!! Pretty amazing stuff! Very normal to have a sore throat after an ablation. Great post, stay positive.

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply toJt222

Yes that’s quite amazing I had no idea

A very interesting post Sue to hear how it is done in France ! Nothing like that when I had my ablations in UK. ...quite primitive here !

Glad you are safely home and recovering.

Best wishes

Sandra

Morzine profile image
Morzine

Thanks Sandra, I was quite pleased the orange iodine washed of my body! It said on tub to wash hair but I didn’t and no one saud anything.....

It was funny having J cloth robe......yet we can’t get those blue j cloths over here.....

in reply toMorzine

I wouldn't have washed my hair either!!....just dampen and make out it was washed...

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply to

Yes!

Ianc2 profile image
Ianc2

You must remember that for the first few days you will need to eat the best quality Ice cream that money can buy. Absolute medical requirement.

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply toIanc2

Grin!

djbgatekeeper profile image
djbgatekeeper

I hope you are feeling well soon.. Take care 👍

Morzine profile image
Morzine in reply todjbgatekeeper

Thanks am resting and my hubby in plaster is hopping around doing dinner....what a pair

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