It looks to me like about 50%. My doc is hell bent on trying to stop my Afib as it is non stop and he says that my heart will grow in size and I will have trouble breathing in years to come. I have not seen this noted before on any of the remarks.
I have had a cardioversion, lasted a week. Now on a chemical cardioversion that does not seem to be working either. Life is not bad so far as long as I take it easier than I am used to! Light headed and feel awful when I push the boundaries.
Yes, get the ablation. I think the success rate is nearer 70%. My AFib was about half the time and I think that, if it had gone on like that indefinitely, it wouldn't have done my heart any good at all. At times, I felt lightheaded.
If your doctor has said that, then in your case, it may well be true.
If your AF is permanent and cardioversion has not been able to revert it then to be honest the chances of ablation sorting it are very slim IMHO .
Any and all treatment is only for quality of life so I would not necessarily agree with your doctor. Provided that the rate is well controlled (ie under 100) and you are anticoagulated for stroke prevention then there is little evidence that AF is in any way life limiting although one has to admit it is life changing.
A lot depends on individual circumstances & the skill & expertise of the EP. Take your time & find out just how many ablations your EP performs annually & ask their success rate.
I am assuming you will have had an echocardiogram? If so ask what the structure looked like because an enlarged atria will show up which is why it’s a good idea to have annual checks if in persistent AF.
It’s definitely not a cure all, often you will need more than 1 ablation, I had 2 - second kept me AF free for 3 years.
It’s worth while checking out all affective Lifestyle factors such as sleep apnea which when treated can help AF burden as well as eating very well - plenty of fresh food high in plants, watch your weight because the chances of AF not returning after ablation will be MUCH higher if you do your part.
Hope that helps
Hi there is there a place online where you can see the success rates of cardiologists and EPs please like a review or success table style thing? or is it just a matter of asking them ?
Think it depends we’re you live - I don’t know of any formal table in the UK - I do know that medical audit may register outcomes but that’s not usually for public consumption & designed to pick up poor practice. I’ve always just asked and made it specific to me but at best it could only ever be a guess based on EP experience & your own medical history.
The advice I was given was to choose annEP who performed ablations regularly & had a good reputation.
The original poster is based in Canada which has very different options than either UK or US & seems to be much more difficult to get an ablation under that system - just from what I’ve read on this forum.
I can only go on my own experience which is different to some of the replies.
I had permanent AF with two failed Cardioversions. A mixture of Flecanide and Bisoprolol then put me back into paroxysmal, but it was still every day and twice some days. I had an ablation in August and have been AF free since.
My attitude was, a whatever percentage chance of NSR with an ablation was better than a zero percent chance if I didn’t have one.
It is easy to glibly say it’s only quality of life, but having been both sides of the coin, I think it’s more a choice between an existence where life is curtailed and the possibility of life returning to normal.
I was quoted 70%.
However mine was 100% , it will be 4 years at the end of January! No drugs since May 2018.
If I get Afib back tomorrow morning I will happily have another ablation tomorrow afternoon for the chance of another 4 years of no AFib .
I was otherwise fit and healthy , with no comorbidities.
Totally depends on YOUR heart but sounds like you need the ablation. I wonder what it is that worries you? My EP / Cardiologist fast forwards AF patients because he said that some AF changes the heart over time, AF begets more AF, so good to try to limit it or stop it. Surprised you have not heard this before. Good luck!
I think a 50% success rate is probably low although I understand the need to adjust for individual circumstances.
I had undiagnosed a fib for over 10 years that showed up sporadically, several times a year but never more than about an hour (which is why it was so hard to diagnose). It progressed to daily paroxysmal a fib that would last anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours, several times a day. I tried drugs, lifestyle changes etc, which helped a bit but not enough. My doctor said I was an excellent candidate for ablation and that generally 60% of ablations work the first time in her experience, but someone with my background (no comorbidities, in my 40s) that number is in excess of 85%.
My ablation last November was successful and both my physical and mental health have significantly improved. I wouldn’t hesitate to have it done again if necessary or to recommend it to someone else.
I would say you can't really give a success rate for Ablation, only an estimate taking into account age/weight/comorbidities/lifestyle/ onset of AF. There are statistics but they are not easily applied to the individual.
I think each person needs to take these things into account and decided what might be best for them.
From University of Michigan (umcvc.org/conditions-treatm... ):
"Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation can be eliminated in 70-75 percent of patients with a single procedure. When the procedure is repeated in patients who still have atrial fibrillation after the first procedure, the overall success rate is approximately 85-90 percent.
Persistent atrial fibrillation can be eliminated in approximately 50 percent of patients with a single procedure. In about 30 percent of patients who undergo ablation of chronic atrial fibrillation, the atrial fibrillation is replaced by a different kind of short circuit referred to as “left atrial flutter.” These patients are treated temporarily with medications and the left atrial flutter sometimes goes away on its own within a few months. If it does not, you may need a second catheter ablation procedure to eliminate the flutter. In these cases, the overall success rate is approximately 75-85 percent. If the atrial fibrillation has been persistent for more than 1-2 years, almost all patients will require more than one ablation procedure before a normal heart rhythm is restored."
Percentage varies depending on your heart. A good ep should be able to tell you your individual likelihood of success.
Where are finding the 50% number? My first ablation helped a lot and the second has made my afib disappear. I had become quite debilitated from trying everything to avoid ablation. Wish I had had the ablation years ago.
It depends on whether you have PAF or persistent/permanent AF and various other factors like how much fibrosis there is, body mass etc.. So it probably isn't a good idea to look at a generic figure. Also be aware that some doctors stipulate "success" as meaning that the procedure was carried out in a technically correct manner. See: emedicine.medscape.com/arti...
An unusually tangible post from me - to anticoagulate or not, that is the question 
Ablation "Success"
1st ablation failed what is the chance of success of the following Cardeovertion 
Moscow Ablation / Purpose of Second Cardioversion
