I went into St Bartholomews for ablation number three on Tuesday. Everything was very efficient and I felt very safe in what was a COVID free hospital, I was also pleased to be visited by my consultant Mr Sporton who had said he wanted to do it himself this time . The ablation was under general anaesthetic and my shortest by far at three and a half hours. Unfortunately when I woke up instead of being in the observation ward I was in Coronary Care Unit. Apparently my blood pressure had dropped and also my potassium, I had two cardioversions but they couldn’t get me into sinus rhythm. The only thing that didn’t sit well was that I was given a loading dose of amiodarone which I had said I didn’t want as it made me feel awful. Through the night I was monitored and looked after so well and kept in another day. Then yesterday morning Professor Schilling came to see me, he suggested taking my 10 mg Bisoprolol in two doses morning and night as they noticed my heart rate was going up as it wore off. He also prescribed Flecanide and they gave me a dose but my monitor showed I was having ST and T wave rhythms so that was a non starter.
After three months if things haven’t settled I’ve been offered a Pace and Ablate which I will certainly accept. The good thing is that on coming home I’ve found I can now climb our stairs without stopping for breath and bend down without being dizzy. For me that’s amazing and I just hope that this improvement continues. Although a bit fraught my treatment and nursing was brilliant so pleased to have had a chance of treatment.
Sorry for the essay but I know a few of you were following my anxious posts beforehand and I promised an update.
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Hello jeanjeanie, still in AFIB despite their best efforts. Mr Sporton said in Feb that he would fit me in as urgent as I needed to be done ASAP but of course COVID came. It was wonderful to walk up the stairs. I did it and realised I wasn’t breathless and hadn’t stopped for a rest. Worth it just for that!
Mainly fast but apparently all over the place. The 10 mg Bisoprolol keep it just under 100 if I’m still but as soon as I move it goes mad. I felt like a bit of an exhibit as Mr Sporton was telling his registrar how difficult I was,like I was a challenge 😂.
So sorry to read that things didnt quite turn out has you had hoped on Tuesday but its early days I guess and I hope that your heart settles down. From your post, it was good to hear that you felt safe in St Barts and in the current times no one can ask for more. Good luck and my very best wishes to you in the coming weeks and months. Take care and keep us posted.
I am not sure if you said you woke up in AF, and two cardioversions could not get you back to sinus.
For my third ablation, I was such a complicated case that I had to be cardioverted but I did wake up in sinus, and still am 15 months later. I wish you the best to be in sinus. I have had only one five hour bout of AF when I stopped my Propafenone and which I returned to taking.
I don't know if you have been given reports as to what was ablated for each ablation. For me, that knowledge helped me to understand my complications that then helped me to relax.
The fact that you now can climb stairs and bend is most encouraging.
Thanks for your reply, so glad that you’re doing well still. I woke up in AF despite the cardioversions but judging by the way that I feel it must be a very different rhythm than I was in before. I do have the full details and agree knowledge is power.
I could never understand people saying that they felt ready to start doing normal things after an ablation as I honestly felt really unwell after my first two. Thankfully I feel so good this time so fingers crossed even though I’m in AF.
The longer one is persistent before an ablation, the more work has to be done, the longer the ablation time, hence the weaker one is after the ablation. It is most likely that the ones "ready to start doing normal things" are the paroxysmal ones, especially the ones with short AF episodes.
Thanks, I am feeling reasonably okay just tired. My husband is now almost blind and we normally manage fine but we are very lucky to have a fantastic grown up son who lives with us and is really helping us a lot. Will keep updating .
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