Hi guys.
Just after any and all info from people who’ve had a recent ablation or have had an ablation and can remember stages of recovery and what they used as signs of a progressing recovery. Would just like to get all info in one place if I can, so as to compare to my own recovery. Don’t skimp on the details 😂 would love to hear the nitty gritty of it all. No info too small. All info/advice welcome.
Thanks guys and good luck with your recovery’s 😀👍
Everybody is different so I thjink this idea risks failure. I had similar problems post prostatectomy when I became depressed that my progess was so slow until I met others who were far worse off . Some who never obtained continence for example.
The fact sheet you have been sign posted to is a general guide and you will see from that the time varies by many months!
The only solid fact is that when the groin wound and bruises start to fade your heart has just begun to heal.
Hi Bob.
Thanks for response. I agree everyone is different which is why I would expect a variety of different answers, symptoms, recovery times etc. Doesn’t hurt to get as much info as possible from as many sources as possible though. To be fair if it didn’t work then I can’t see how this forum would be of any use to anyone? But as we know it’s extremely helpful to many, me included.
In regards to the bruising around wounds. I never really had anything to begin with. VERY slight, very small yellow coulouring around right hand groin but that’s completely gone now. Left side I had nothing at all apart from a tiny puncture wound and that is virtually invisible now so all good hopefully 🙏🤞
If you look at my posts, I have posted about my post ablation antics. As for my bruising, about 75% of my right leg, down to my foot, was various shades of purple for 6 weeks. Hate to think what state the heart was in. 😁.
Hi ducky.
Wow! Really? That’s a hell of a lot of bruising. Makes you wonder what the hell they did to you 🤣 as I said before I had VERY little bruising. Almost non existent and I know they had huge problems trying to get the probes down my right side groin so had to use my left as well. I did have quite a large wound on the right side in comparison to the left and it looks like they had to glue the right side slighting in order to get it to close and heal properly. It’s healed lovely now and is completely closed and almost gone. The wound on the left has gone entirely and was only tiny to begin with.
Bizarrely, I had no bruising on the actual groin. It was everywhere else. I had a vascular ultrasound a week later as they said it was an unusual amount of bruising. They thought a vessel wasn't closed off properly but all was ok. Just very bad luck.
Yes, I think the bruising is just leaked away blood gathering somewhere else, it's not as if they injured/impacted your leg at all.
Two months on, mine's all gone now, but there is still a kind of brown shadow left behind where it was. I hope that fades. The insertion point is still a small red blob, but not as red as it was.
Hi, my ablation, you may remember was over 4 weeks ago. It was a 5 and a half hour RF ablation under local/ sedation. Have just seen the report and I had ablation fir AF, A/flutter and A/tachy and had 2 dccvs during the procedure . I felt great after the procedure and continue to feel the same. I had some spectacular bruising to both groins which disappeared completely within a week.
My heart rate varies between 60s and 80s I've had 3 brief periods of slight tachy at just 105. Other than that nothing really to report. I realise that the blanking period is about 3 months so I won't be complacent !
I can't say I've been a couch potato but I've paced myself during first 2 weeks and had early nights.
I feel very grateful for all that my EP has done for me over the past 12 years , particularly as I'm approaching 77 . Hopefully he has 'nailed 'it now!
Recent cryo ablation for PVI on 13th August. I'm 63yrs - quite fit. Been walking up to 3/4k every other day at a medium pace. (started gentle walking in 2nd week) Bruising almost gone - catheter insert wound has healed up. HR constantly at 68-72bpm.(up by 14bpm pre ablation ) After 3 days I have developed post nasal drip (now in its 3rd week) which is giving me an annoying irritating cough at times. Arrithmia nurse said " nothing to do with recent ablation". If the irritatable cough hasn't gone soon will follow up with GP. Other than that recovery going well and not overdoing it!
If you look at my posts, you'll see that I have had a bit of a bumpy road after my ablation two months ago. I am improving, I think. Last night I managed a 50 minute walk at a good pace for the first time, although not quite as quick as I used to go. I'm still not back to normal though, and find I just don't have the stamina to keep going at anything yet. The next month will be a testing time to see if the improvement continues.
Sorry to hear that momist. Hopefully the coming month will be a good one for you 🤞
How old are you if you don’t mind me asking?
I had my second ablation (radio frequency) in April. No problems whatsoever with recovery process. Two weeks after were a-fib free, then a few episodes happened during the next two months -- short and mild. They always occurred after I overdid it in the garden as I'm one to terraform using boulders and such! If I would give any advice, it's this: Even if you feel you're healed enough to do some specific project, just the fact that you're wondering about it means you shouldn't. Your internals need to heal, so give it time. Best of luck to you!
Thanks snowgirl. Good advice 👍
I'm 66 y.o. 4 wks post abalation complicated with rt phrenic nerve damage. No episodes of afib. Heart rate runs 60s to 70s, up to 105 with exertion. I can walk a mile on level ground, a moderate pace. Difficulty with hills and in the mountains due to shortness of breath. Sleeping ok, but cant feel return of diaphram function yet. It worries me, but it's still early. Just impatient. Also having nagging cough, wasn't covid. Someone else mentioned it. Is that common?
My first was a cryoablation was for afib and I had some episodes of afib for about 10 days. My energy level was back in about three weeks. My second was a long, complicated radiofrequency ablation for atypical flutter. I had episodes of flutter for about two weeks and little energy for about two months.
Hi Elli,
I’m post ablation 3.5 months (I had PAF for 5 years). I kept a daily log after ablation with BP, HR, and notes. That level of detail would only bore you and perhaps make you gag. Here are the highlights.
The first week. First couple days sore in chest and had cough from build-up of fluids (from sedation or ablation catheter irrigation). Had AF a few times but very short-lived (5 minutes). Heart rate was about 20-30 bpm above my normal. No problems with catheter entry sites (both sides)—only minor bruising just around the entries.
Second week. Cough gone. Improving. No more AF noticed. Occasional ectopic beats and variable HR (from 40 bpm to 80 bpm) within a minute. Heart remodeling?
Third and fourth week. HR still elevated (for me) in the 70s bpm. No AF noticed, weird beats and rhythms decreasing in frequency.
Week five. My healing and heart circuitry remodeling is near complete. The irregular beats are very infrequent (1-2 times a day) and my HR is back down in the 50s where I started.
Week six. I’d say this was the “healed” time for me. There’s obviously more that my body needs to do to be fully healed but I feel good at this point.
90 days. Follow up with electro-cardiologist (first time since 7-day follow-up). Removed from apixaban and amiodarone (yay!). Moving on to resumption of normal. What was once daily anxiety—is done.
Today. Just fine thank you.
Wow that’s some detail seasick 😂 thanks for the effort. Much appreciated 👍
I posted a lot about my first ablation and even more on my blog - hhtafibathlete.blogspot.com... it helps
Thanks for info jaja. I shall take a look 👍
My ablation was 4 weeks ago now. Bruising to top of right leg - green, red, purple and black in places. Almost all gone now just entry would and stiches mark remain with bruising looking like a dirty mark now. My op was 1 1/4 hrs and I had sedation/painkillers. Worst bit for me was lying on my back for so long after wards. My back was sore even in the cath lab. week 1 - I had blinding migraines with blurred vision if having to much screen/tv time. Went to bed a lot even jut to rest if not to sleep. Found sleeping difficult at times and apparently I snore a lot now.
I also have a cough and sore throat which sometimes gives me a head ache. My groin is still tender, more so that I would expect at this time. Probably over doing it. I didn't leave the garden for the first week and didn't drive until end week 2 and then only short journeys. didn't want to risk an emergency stop. I didn't climb stairs for about 2/ 3 weeks and walked slowly until last week.
Like others have said, sometime you feel like you are back to normal then the tiredness gets you.
I hope this helps.
Hi doubledeck.
Thanks for info. How old are you? Seems like you had a pretty quick turnaround from being diagnosed to having an ablation? Much like myself in comparison to others at least. Totally agree with the tiredness hitting you. Hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday. Felt sick and literally felt like I had no energy in my body what so ever. Took my boy over the park in the morning, roughly 2 mile round trip and an hour over park. Then around 5 o clockish went for a 4 mile walk. Felt fine during walk as per usual. Stats all good in terms of bpm etc and then as soon as I got home it hit me 🤢 felt horrible for a good 3/4 hours then went to bed early. Atleast I know my limits now
I'm 56 years old. Consultant said 6 - 8 months and that was in January. Would have had the op in July (exactly 6 months from going on waiting list) but was ill then.
I feel fine and capable of most things then just get so tired. I'm hoping this will pass just don't know when. I do still struggle a bit on stairs.
Yeah the tiredness is a killer if you do too much. I’m finding that everytime I get really tired, I’ll then get this horrible suction feeling in my heart, accompanied by plenty of ectopic beats. My heart then feels like It’s gonna go into af but thankfully doesn’t. This has happened 3 times now and every morning I’ve woken up and my resting heart rate has dropped drastically, 7/8 bpm. Very strange but feels like it’s part of the process. Might be some sort of remodelling.
4 YEARS POST ABLATION and some weird info...
Ablation info sheets
New criteria for an ablation recently published in medscape
Pace and ablate info
Recent ‘Pace & Ablate’
