Well I'm home ,12 hours on the ward and 3 hours on the table
My groin is fine so far, a lovely sore throat and a bit tired but pretty good on the AF front
Must admit the 6 hours lying flat after was a feat of endurance but once mobile I was on my way home
I have no idea how it went as the EP didnt pop in to see me before I left and the discharge nurse could only hand me the report saying "its all jargon to me"and after reading it this morning I have to agree . It's full of abbreviations and terms I can't decipher
I have a choice of waiting for the 3 months review to ask the EP or ring the arrhythmia nurse later
I have to say I was well cared for throughout so can recommend the Norfolk and Norwich for the procedure.
Fingers now crossed for a successful outcome
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Hammerboy
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Great news, try and keep cool and well hydrated. I had my one done on a Friday so got very little useful information on Saturday morning before leaving!!
I was surprised as I was told the EP would visit me before I left ,I guess he was busy. I'm curious as to what they found and why the previous cryo hadn't worked . My pre op assessment arrhythmia nurse said it would all be explained in detail once I'd woken up .
I suppose I'm looking for a light at the end of a long tunnel .
Think about ringing or emailing your EP’s secretary explaining that you just want to know how the procedure went and that unfortunately, what you were told would happen regarding a de-briefing didn’t, so are feeling concerned and worried. If you choose your words carefully you have nothing to lose 🤞
I’m sure you know this already but if you click on this link then scroll down to the list of names in blue, click on yours and the contact details, inc secretary’s name will appear….good luck 😉
An ablation takes 3 hours? That seems so long. I am glad that you're ok 🙂 I'm new and forgive me for not knowing much about any of this. I just wanted to comment to ask if you're in the UK? I have never heard of a surgeon not speaking to a patient immediately after a surgery. Especially one that was 3 hours. I am so sorry. I asked if you're in the UK, because I'm in America and I've noticed such a considerable amount of differences in healthcare and hospital experiences.
Yes the UK , at my last cryo ablation he told me how it went within half an hour of waking up from sedation. I can only think he was busy at the time on this occasion.
Ablation can take many hours depending on the complexity.
Please don't apologise for asking questions , it's what the site is for 🙂
As I've been slowly learning about all of this I was under the impression that ablation was non-evasive and home the same day after a few hours. I'm really glad that you're ok! 🙂
It was a day case , most of time spent lying flat recovering. I was asleep so no pain and now just a bit sore and tired .It's quite a safe procedure generally
It depends if you are sedated only or have a general anaesthetic. With a GA you're typically kept overnight for this procedure. I agree it's a bit odd not getting the feedback at discharge but it's likely there's an arrhythmia nurse service at this hospital and Hammer can follow up that way. The good cardiology units have these nurses here and they're usually great. Really knowledgeable and supportive and you can book calls with them etc. Much better than calling the medical secretary
This is interesting as I have been told nothing about having an arrhythmia nurse and have had no contact with anyone since my procedure on July 6th - definitely no contact with the EP. When I left hospital, there were just two nurses on duty (I had stayed longer than the other patients due to having raging toothache during recovery which was put down to referred pain from the heart) and all I got was a sheet of paper with details of what to do for the next couple of days and an emergency number to phone the ward if I was worried during that time.
Surgery with no contact with the surgeon or the doctor? Ive only ever heard of that with something like a tooth extraction at the dentist. Wow. It seems this is common in England or am I wrong... as in, I wonder if here they treat ablation the same way 🤔 now I need to find out. The curiosity has a hold of me!
Im so glad that you guys who experienced this are ok 🙏🙂
I just went and checked the paperwork I was given. In small writing it is printed, 'follow up appointment has / has not been made' and this is followed by 04.12. So from this I gather I may / may not have a follow up appointment in December! Lol!
You may find that the number given to you was for the arrhythmia nurses . At my hospital there are about 5 I believe and you are encouraged to call them if you have any worries
I have no worries at the moment but the number I was given was only for if I needed advice within 48hrs, so definitely nothing on-going.
My husband has access to the Community Heart Failure nurses as and when he needs them and I have the same access to the Community Respiratory nurses, but as far as my ablation, I've been offered absolutely no ongoing support whatsoever from anywhere.
To be fair, I don't think I really need anything now (thanks to the help and advice I've had from people on this forum), but it feels like a leap in the dark to come home when someone has been doing things to your heart and it's treated as casually as having a tooth filled!
There are many great things happening at our hospital in terms of patient care and treatment while they are there, but there seems to be little support once the deed is done and you're sent home.
That's surprising , I had a pre assessment with one of the arrhythmia nurses last week who gave me a number to call .I called this morning and was given the names of all 5 nurses on the team
I'm expecting a call back sometime today He said I could call at any time with any questions I may have .
Depends on the complexity of what they find. You also have to lie flat for hours afterwards because of the potential for the ground wound to bleed.It is an invasive procedure,as they work inside the heart ❤
That seems incredibly serious and should be followed up with a consult from the surgeon. Again, wow. I had a day surgery once here in Boston, Massachusetts and it was nothing so serious as heart related, I had the consult PLUS received a check up phone call the next day to see how i was feeling and later, about a week or so- a "get well soon" card in the mail signed by the doctor and all the nurses on that floor! It was lovely and felt so reassuring.
Excuse me for being so puzzled by this. I'll leave it alone now 🙂 and thankful all is well
You could photograph your discharge form and post it here to see if anyone can interpret it. Someone who has actually had it explained to them might know. My EP came to see me to decide if I was fit enough to go home because I had fluid around my heart but didn’t explain anything at all! Luckily I could understand the report.
I'm told it's not uncommon for the cryo ablation , something like 70% are successful but the remaining 30% require a redo after a period of time which is usually done under GA and takes a lot longer as they use 3D mapping to check the right and left Atrium .In my case I think the Pulmonary veins didn't quite get fully isolated using the cryo method . I had lots of AF quite soon after the procedure which continued for months before settling down to about 8 or so episodes a year.
I'm hoping this latest ablation has mopped up the rogue cells and I can have a better outcome this time
Before the cryo I had more frequent episodes but still self resolved in under 12 hoursSince the cryo and after about 6 months the episodes became milder and less frequent but still very random .
I chose to go on the NHS waiting list for a follow up after a review . It took about 14 months or so to come round which isn't bad considering the pandemic delays .
It was a review with the arrhythmia nurse last year. She asked how I'd been and suggested I go on the list and make a decision as to accepting the ablation when the time came .I felt it was worth a try as my AF , although improved after the first ablation , was still an issue .
I'm glad I had the opportunity and hope it's worked this time
Well the best of luck , I felt very well looked after by the whole team and would have no hesitation having the procedure again if necessary. I do hope it isn't though 😉
All the very best for your outcome Hammerboy ! Was this second Ablation RF ? Sorry I was right about Sonny Perkins heading Leeds way, all the best for the new season 👍
I had RF procedure the second time around 8 weeks ago. Mine only took about an hour and I had very light sedation interestingly compared to your GA. I have had 2-3 AF incidents since the ablation but nothing for two weeks, hoping the scars heal within the 3 month blanking period. Also my EP never came to see me after the procedure either, I have been told to wait for the phone app in 3 months. Not ideal but it is what it is. Rest up 👍
To be honest I don’t think there is much the EP can tell you straight after the procedure, the 3 month blanking period will give them more of an idea on wether it was successful or not. I will take a guess and say your cardio nurse will tell you it all went fine 😊
You may well be right 🙂 I just want to know what they found and what they did. The EP said before I went down they were going to have a good look around and see what was going on .I'm just curious really .
Bit gung ho isn't it re the discharge? I'm guessing because all went well. I saw the registrar I think after my first, not successful, ablation but only the arrhythmia nurse after my 2nd. Which went well. Take it as a good sign. Keep extra hydrated this weekend!
Thank you, I kept being told the EP would see me before leaving but I finally got transferred from the ward I was on to a separate recovery area .The nurses there only seemed to be interested in getting me mobile and discharging me Unfortunately they had no knowledge of my procedure as such so just told me to read the report.
Well the good news is the arrhythmia nurse called me back today and explained the report .The ablation was a success , my pulmonary veins had reconnected so were re-isolated and my right atria was mapped and any rogue cells ablated .I went into AF before they brought me round so I was cardioverted with flecanide intravenously .
If I have an AF episode during the blanking period I have to call them so they can do an ECG and talk to the EP.
If no AF during the blanking period he'll see me in 3 months in outpatients .
All sounds ok , she checked how I was and said call back any time if I had any questions.
Thats great that you now know & know who to ring if you have any probs. Fingers crossed they got the little beastie this time! Wishing you a smooth recovery.
After my thyroidectomy I hastened to drink a smoothie. I prefer the blueberry, banana etc. SIMPLY SQUEEZED. Everywhere in NZ but you are in UK.
I spent 6 years with 3 trips home in 1990s.
Being a descendent of UK my all grands on both sides from DEVON. I enjoyed my stay working and travelling out. After 2 years I realised I could have RIGHT OF ABODE having been married to a Brit sadly Dec'd.
I felt at home, didn't mind the weather . Bought a moped and then a Reliant Realtor.
Well done ! I'd contact someone to find how they thought it went. There is no sign of a 3 month review appointment for me yet,9 weeks after ablation. I'm not bothered as I got feedback straightaway,but you might want to pursue?Take it steady
I get that but my last cryo the EP came and told me what he'd done The printed report I got this time is quite detailed but in Jargon so difficult to know what was found and addressed .
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Post ablation fatigue 
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