Hi all,
Just out of interest for the people who had ablations to treat AF, how many months have you been AF free since? And how many ablations have you had? I have had 2 ablation and it's come back after a year so I'm considering whether to get another. Thanks!
How long did it come back after the first one?
Hello mate,
had my ablation March 2017. A few small hickups during the blanking phase then all fine. 2 month back 1 episode, a few hours, maybe 10. Self-converted. Reckon was too much stress, not enough sleep. Nervous system hiwire. Since then all ok. Always having my ectopics.
I need to seriously get rid of some pounds, rather more than just some 
Cheers,
J
5 ablations. The last in January 2019.
2 minor none debilitating hiccups since then in March and July that resolved inside 36 hours. Medication free since April/May. No symptoms since July,
How long is a piece of string and to be honest, other people’s experiences are unique to them but I can understand why you want to ask the question!
For what it is worth, my first Cryoablation was in June 16 and the second, an RF ablation in September 18 which was no great surprise because there was a problem isolating one of my pulmonary veins. Earlier this month, it was suggested I should have third next year due to having around 6 episodes over the past 8 months. Intensity of episodes have been significantly reduced and all have stopped within an hour using Flecainide as a PiP. That’s my story, but as I said, it’s probably unique to me! Good luck with your decision.....
THree ablaation up to 2008 since when no AF____BUT!!! lots of other arrhythmias and fourth ablation for atrial tachycardia in August.
I have had 7 ablations.
1 for Atrial Flutter
5 for Atrial Fibrillation
1 for Atrial Tachycardia
The last one was August 20 2017.
Since then I initially had a lot of Ectopics. They slowly abated. I have had probably 5 short episodes (less than 5 hours) of AF at longer intervals.
Things have progressively got better but I am not complacent enough to relax totally as in my nearly 30 years experience AF will bite me when I least expect it.
As Hidden suggests we are all different and it is not a good ideal to generalise.
Pete
7 ablations I honour you going through 7 you deserve to be AF FREE after that
It would be good but I am not holding my breath.
Worth pursuing however as I was much worse before having the procedures. I was regularly in hospital having one cardioversion after another.
Once the recovery team suggested that I bring cakes for them next time. 😂
Pete
2 ablations - 1st made things a lot worse ending up in acute cardiac care - 2nd a few weeks later left me AF free for 3 years.
1 Ablation - 3 years Dec 2019. Just a few episodes & took a rather large Flecanide dose to rtn to NSR. I carry PIP always Just in case. More worried about the PE the procedure caused 1 week later. But, all in all - So far so good! :^)
Cryoablation in April so just 7 months in but so far I’m good. Still carry PIP just in case. However, I have never had frequent episodes of AF but have always ended up in A&E for cardioversion.
Hi 1st cryoablation only lasted until my beta blocker medication ended 6months later. I had an RF ablation in November 2018 and that has prevented any further PAF attacks to date. However, I have been experiencing new symptoms since - frequent ventricular tachycardia, ventricular ectopics (singles and runs) and now atrial ectopics. I've also got increased breathlessness, chest pains and faintness/dizziness. Unsure if the recent start of atrial ectopics is a sign that the PAF is on the way back - hope not!!!
How do you know the difference between ventricular and atrial etopics? Do they feel different?
I only know because I've got one of the single lead Kardia ECG devices. If I get a very bad run of heart symptoms and the ECG reports 'unclassified' I pay the £5.00 charge to have one of the online Kardia medical staff provide me with a report on the ECG reading. That is how I found out. Needless to say I don't get every 'unclassified' result looked at by the Kardia team as its too expensive. During the last heart incident my heart was clearly very unhappy with itself but I was not aware of any very different different ectopic behaviour so the atrial ectopics didn't really stand out amongst the runs of ventricular ectopics, tachycardia, etc.
Mine will be a year this coming January,I’m still in tablets though as I’ve had a long trip to OZ and cardio wanted to keep me safe.....so I guess prof will be whrn I’m on less or notablets......but I’d deffo recommend ablation as after I felt hugely less fearful of AF coming bavk.......
A friend had an ablation 12 years ago, has been symptom free for 10 years. I'm hoping mine will be as successful, when it happens. Fingers crossed.
I had my ablation 5 years ago been AF free since. Quality of life vastly improved
How frequently and how long did they last before?
I used to have 3-4 episodes a year which required fleicanide intravenously to cardiovert me. I felt so unwell when in AF.
I have had three completed ablations. Since the last one, five years ago, I have had no recurrence of AFib. However, in the last very successful ablation, the superior vena cava was ablated In addition to the pulmonary vessels.
One ablation , Still NSR 31 months later
And that was my fourth ablation in 4 years...
I have have had 3 ablations now the last 2016. It generally takes about 18 months for another pathway to be established and I have experienced 4 episodes this November alone. Am really reluctant to have another ablation as I don’t tolerate GA’s well. As already mentioned everyone is different. Good luck in your decision making.
My one and only was in November 2013 and apart from various arrhythmias during the first 5 months am still gloriously AF free🤞👋😄
I had my first cryoablation on February 22, 2018 and was afib free for 14 months. I just had a radiofrequency ablation for atypical aflutter on October 18, 2019.
I have had one - and it did nothing - was a total waste of time and money. Since then - check this out:
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After 9 years of trying different foods and logging EVERYTHING I ate, I found sugar (and to a lesser degree, salt – i.e. dehydration) was triggering my Afib. Doctors don't want to hear this - there is no money in telling patients to eat less sugar. Each person has a different sugar threshold - and it changes as you get older, so you need to count every gram of sugar you eat every day (including natural sugars in fruits, etc.). My tolerance level was 190 grams of sugar per day 8 years ago, 85 grams a year and a half ago, and 60 grams today, so AFIB episodes are more frequent and last longer (this is why all doctors agree that afib gets worse as you get older). If you keep your intake of sugar below your threshold level your AFIB will not happen again (easier said than done of course). It's not the food - it's the sugar (or salt - see below) IN the food that's causing your problems. Try it and you will see - should only take you 1 or 2 months of trial-and-error to find your threshold level. And for the record - ALL sugars are treated the same (honey, refined, agave, natural sugars in fruits, etc.). I successfully triggered AFIB by eating a bunch of plums and peaches one day just to test it out. In addition, I have noticed that moderate exercise (7-mile bike ride or 5-mile hike in the park) often puts my Afib heart back in to normal rhythm a couple hours later. Don’t know why – perhaps you burn off the excess sugars in your blood/muscles or sweat out excess salt?? I also found that strenuous exercise does no good – perhaps you make yourself dehydrated??
I'm pretty sure that Afib is caused by a gland(s) - like the Pancreas - or an organ that, in our old age, is not working well anymore and excess sugar or dehydration is causing them to send mixed signals to the heart - for example telling the heart to beat fast and slow at the same time - which causes it to skip beats, etc. I can't prove that (and neither can my doctors), but I have a very strong suspicion that that is the root cause of our Afib problems. I am working on this with a Nutritionist and hope to get some definitive proof in a few months.
Also, in addition to sugar, if you are dehydrated - this will trigger AFIB as well. It seems (but I have no proof of this) that a little uptick of salt in your blood is being treated the same as an uptick of sugar - both cause AFIB episodes. (I’m not a doctor – it may be the sugar in your muscles/organs and not in your blood, don’t know). In any case you have to keep hydrated, and not eat too much salt. The root problem is that our bodies are not processing sugar/salt properly and no doctor knows why, but the AFIB seems to be a symptom of this and not the primary problem, but medicine is not advanced enough to know the core reason that causes AFIB at this time. You can have a healthy heart and still have Afib – something inside us is triggering it when we eat too much sugar or get (even a little) dehydrated. Find out the core reason for this and you will be a millionaire and make the cover of Time Magazine! Good luck! - Rick Hyer
PS – there is a study backing up this data you can view at:
Hi Gaza I have had one ablation and that was two years this November. All good so far. When they done the ablation they said you've had your first some times it takes 3 so go for it and good luck.
Cheers Bob
Hi Gaz
I had one, but my heart slipped back into an Irregular pattern which stems from a part of my heart which is hard to get at. It also a couple of mm away from the vagus nerve and a major blood vessel. Odds of something going awry estimated at approx. 30%. I am 74 so I am not willing to take that sort of risk.
However my regularly irregular heartbeat doesn't bother me that much. I can and do take exercise and get out walking regularly for about 6 miles, 3 times a week, hail, rain, sleet or snow. I also walk on weekends, as well as going dancing two or three times a week, which is very pleasant but a bit stop start to be counted as exercise unless it is a very fast quickstep.
Before my valve operation I could barely walk 5 steps on the flat without stopping for a blow, and my heart used to bound around all over the place. While attempting to get up Hellvellyn my heart rate got up to 220 bpm before I decided to abandon the attempt. My friends joked that I had a range of 8 miles and a service ceiling of 2000 feet. One my friends accompanied me backed down.
It is at times a strange world. A few years ago he suffered a 'widowmaker' heart attack and died immediately.
Its been five years since my ablation and the ablation did help. BUT!! I still take sotalol and Pradaxa and get small episodes once in a while. They are usually triggered by what I eat or drink such as alcohol or if I should gain a couple of pounds. so I watch my weight very important to me) and try to avoid the triggers. I only had one ablation but the doctor says he see more in future on other side of my heart. I hope not. Have I ever been completely free of episode of afib, the answer in no. my afib is being controlled only, I believe if I didn't take the meds I would be in afib. I really understand what your going through, afib is a monster.
22 months
How many Ablations can you have, how many can you have 
Dr Schilling AF Ablation Results Report
how many af episodes in a month is too many?
