Big belly

[Modog]

I’m going in for an ablation on July 22 to try to alleviate premature ventricular contractions. My only concern is that I am overweight with most of that weight concentrated in my belly. If everything else is in good order do you think I have a lot to worry about?

[BobD Volunteer]

Yes. Try to get down to a BMI of less than 26 which has been shown to reduce arrhytmia burden considerably.

[CDreamer]

Best ask your consultant however, give yourself the best chance of long term success of ablation by getting rid of the belly fat once and for all.

[Jetcat]

They must think you’re fit enough for the ablation even with the extra weight or they would have probably asked you to shed a bit of weight before going ahead with surgery.? But losing extra weight especially around the abdomen area will definitely benefit you.👍

[Snookersteve]

Here's a direct quote from The Afib Cure by John D. Day and T. Jared Bunch who are both very experienced EPs on your side of the Pond. "There is absolutely no universal cause for atrial fibrillation. But if there's one characteristic that people with Afib share more than any other, it is that they are overweight." They go on to say that it is not the weight per se that is the problem but it is a strong indicator that one's metabolism is out of sync. Also if you have excess body fat then it's likely that you may have fat around your heart. I don't see any reason why this advice shouldn't also be relevant for PVCs. So if you possibly can then it's an excellent idea to try and lose some weight especially around the belly.

[Padayn01]

I was around 21 stone during my abalation it was quite embarrassing as the nurse had to hold my belly up while they inserted the catheter