I had an ablation on Tuesday the 12th of March. 5 days later at night, I had a weird abstruction of vision in my left eye. It seemed to be in my perefial. It freaked me out because I thought I was loosing my vision. Has anyone in this forum felt this before? It was like Lightning bolts were blocking the details of my side vision. It lasted for 20-30 min.
Thank You
I wonder if this was migraine aura ? Apparently quite common following ablation. Hopefully someone who had experienced this will post shortly to reassure you.
It sounds very much like the aura you get from a migraine. I’ve had them since I was a small child. Apparently this can happen after an ablation. Speak to your doctor, especially if you’ve never had a migraine before. I hope you get it sorted
I have different experiences from yours, but also vision related.
I frequently get a disturbance of vision, usually when my heart is working hard, often at digestive matters, or I am feeling stressed. My right peripheral vision becomes pixelated - little squares in constant motion, covering a patch of my visual field. In other words I can see it with one or both eyes shut. It only lasts 5-10 minutes. Possibly migraine aura aka visual migraine.
Less commonly I sometimes see double. Both eyes have to be open. Again it lasts 5-10 mins. I've had my eyes checked and they are OK.
My cardiac history is a mitral valve replacement and repair, plus a couple of bouts of endocarditis. I'm off to see my GP next week to see if my drugs need adjusting. Here is hoping it is something so simple!
If you read our fact sheet on Recovering From Ablation you will find that this is a very common side effect of ablation and should pass after a couple of weeks. It is apparently caused by the transpetal puncture when they move the catheter from right atrium to left.
Oddly few doctors seem to know this.
i can understand your fear! I had an ocular migraine as I was coming out of anasthesia after an ablation, for me it looks like shattered stained glass (rather pretty once you realize that it’s harmless!) I’ve also had some other common eye problems that are like lightning bolts, but those didn’t disappear in 30 minutes like a migraine aura does. Best to get it checked out, if only to reassure yourself!
The Dr just said that the diagnosis they think was a Aura headache. I’m so glad it wasn’t anything else. They also said there was a side note, I don’t have plaque built up in my neck where they would usually see some!🤙🏼
Here’s a link to my post from 6 months ago. It sounds very much like my experience.
I get aura migraines periodically. I've had AF for over 20 years ago, but not an ablation.
My heart specialist asks me how many migraines I was getting, but it does vary greatly. I asked her what was the connection between migraine and AF, she couldn't tell me.
It's fairly obvious when they start as part of the vision is not clear, merely taking on colours of the surrounding area which are in focus. For example, if I look at a clock the face is blurred (no hands) but the frame is in sharp focus. For safety I stop driving or using anything sharp. Cuppa tea time!
In my late teens I had an aura migraine after extreme exercise, therefore they may be nothing to do with AF.
I had aura (aka ocular) migraines after my ablation. The areas affected would gradually move around before disappearing after about 30 mins. I probably had 4 or 5 of them for a couple of weeks then no more over the last 9 years. Sit back and enjoy the electric light show, my recommendation would be with some Pink Floyd!
I had migraine start about a week after. And visionpatterns . As I hadn’t had migraines since I was young it was worrying but once I asked the forum and had everyone’s response about migraine, plus the fact sheet.....I felt relieved......had the headaches then for about another week on and off........weird isnt it how it affects the head......
Hello I had 5/6 of these migraine with Aura after my ablation on 8th Feb over the following 2 weeks but it has all settled down now. X
Don’t panic. I have had seven ablations and for the last four I have had visual disturbance between three and seven days after. It’s frightening when it first happens but I used to just immediately lie flat on my back and put just my legs up on the sofa. It would pass within thirty minutes. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope sometimes or just small blind spots. It’s to do with the drugs given pre procedure. It’s a delayed adverse affect. I did also have one episode watching TV when I realised there was a patch on the screen that I couldn’t see. Went to A&E. Ophthalmologist said it was most likely a tiny clot behind the eye, which had resolved by the time they scanned me. They did a peripheral eye test though and it revealed a permanent blind spot. It was due to the rivaroxaban and my dose was reduced fr9. 20mg to 15mg daily. It’s still there but my eyes have learned to compensate for it and I hardly notice it now.
Hope the ablation succeeded. Keep in touch.
Li
This is called a scintillating scotoma and is part of the migraine you get after the ablation. Like BobD said, read the fact sheet and it will explain more. He is right, very few doctors know about this which is odd since it is quite common. You will most likely have several more until the hole in between your atria closes. I have found that Maxalt (Rizatriptan) is helpful for these headaches. I had this several times per day for 3 weeks following my ablation.
I agree it is probably migraine aurs, I have had 4 this year when I have had only 1 since 1976!
However the MAIN POINT of my reply is you have any loss of vision for any unknown reason go straight to A&E.
There are various problems can cause loss of vision peripheral or central, and many of them can cause permanent blindness . I had a bleed from an retinal branch artery years ago, reason unknown, but by the time i went to the opticians who then referred me to the GP,who referred me to a hospital eye clinic I was by then blind in part of my eye.(luckily very peripheral as it was the lowest branch artery). Similar with blocked veins, they can leak which lets fluid under the retina which detacheds and then causes a blind area. Also you can have retinal detachments. I understand it can be as little as 4 hours before blindness can be permanent.
However there are many things that can be done in that few hours to save sight: anti coagulation for blockages, I believe laer cauterisation for leaky veins. Retinal reattachments.
What does this have to do with afib? Possibly nothing but we are all at greater risk of stroke blockages particularly small arteries and veins.
Best wishes
I had a visual aura after my ablation. It lasted 20 minutes and then it disappeared. It was a strange visual phenomenon that could be scary. It could be in color and or some pattern or a dark spot and it moves like a cloud. It occurs in the first 3 months after the ablation. Sometimes it comes with migraine or just without it. I had it without headache. I don’t think you will have another one because it is transient and benign and it has nothing to do with TIA. It is connected with the transseptal catherization that means as I understood the perforation or puncture to enter inside of the atrium.
Yep migraine aura, had this on and off for 2 or 3 days after my ablation last year, feet up rest and enjoy the light show.
It could be that the vitreous 'jelly' within the eye has become partially or completely detached from the retina. It is usually accompanied by a bright crescent shaped light in your peripheral vision. I've had that happen in both eyes. It can be checked by your optician.
Hi,
I too had migraine aura/scintillating scotoma following ablation which lasted 6 months. I noticed it stopped completely when I stopped taking an anticoagulant Apixaban, so will never know if in fact it was due to full healing of transseptal puncture or something else...namely Apixaban!
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