Hey folks!

[Elsie1955]

I told my story in my profile but has anyone else had issues with doctors pushing ablation at you?

[oscarfox49]

When I saw my cardiologist, after a six month wait, his attitude was 'An ablation is the only cure' and when I said I wasn't interested as my beta blocker controlled my AF quite well, he lost all interest in me, refused to discuss anything else like my giddiness and BP issues, and kicked me out after five minutes. He told me to take another beta blocker "But that won't change your permanent AF", and wouldn't even discuss why. I wanted to discuss all the issues with ablation, such as the success rate, the level of risk (especially as I have had a previous stroke) and so on. But he wasn't interested if I didn't want to do what he wanted to do.

[Geza10 in reply to oscarfox49]

same as me did not want to know because I would not have a 2nd ablation

[Elsie1955 in reply to oscarfox49]

my understanding is, and the literature even says, ablation doesnt cure it and people still have to take meds after getting it, so why get it unless your AFB is constant and severe?

[oscarfox49 in reply to Elsie1955]

Actually if your AF is permanent or persistent, then it means that the success rate for ablation is far, far lower than if it is paroxysmal or intermittent. I read somewhere about 40%.

[oscarfox49 in reply to Elsie1955]

According to other studies, a 'successful' ablation may make you feel a lot better and more symptom free, but even if it is a 'success' the mortality rate is the same as someone being treated for rate or rhythm control with drugs. Given the risk inherent in the procedure, that was another reason I did not want an ablation, although I am fortunate that my AF is much more under control with beta blockers nowadays, although I have had a stroke a couple of years ago due to a lack of an effective anticoagulant at that time.

[Physalis in reply to Elsie1955]

Well it's cured mine completely for a couple of years so saying ablation doesn't cure it always seems wrong to me. Before, I had AF with high HR for about a third of a week, sometimes ran out of energy when out and suffered from occasional pre-syncope. All that's gone.

[Elsie1955 in reply to Physalis]

so your heart rate shot up? You see, mine doesn't go abnormally high. Just very irregular. It would be up higher than normal for me, but not dangerously. It was just very uncomfy and angina-like in feeling, like an alien crawling out of my chest

[Physalis in reply to Elsie1955]

Mine was relatively simple. For years I could feel my heart rate going up occasionally but that was just at the start of each episode. It would then stay at an average of about 140 bpm without me feeling any different. I do remember going to a stressful lunch in 2009 and when I got home my heart pounded for a couple of hours. In hospital in 2013 I was diagnosed with AF and again in 2018.

It was only in May 2019 when I got my apple watch that I could measure each episode and realised that my heart was going at that fast rate for a third of every week. Had my ablation in July 2020 and it hasn't happened since. Free of the occasional and seemingly not connected pre-syncope too.

Free of the dreadful bisoprolol too.

[Desanthony]

I had the opposite and wouldn't even have known about ablation had I not joined this group. I had problems taking beta blockers or any rate control medication for my persistent AF as they took my heart rate too low - often in the low forties and once lower overnight to 38 when I was taken to A&E for observation. In fact they made me feel worse than the AF and I tried all of them - beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and combinations of all sorts. I had 3 successful cardioversions which put me in NSR for over a year at a time - the longest one lasting 15 months. I eventually found a good EP who would have performed ablation for me but Covid struck less than a month before my ablation would have taken place. Nearly had it 6 months later and had been called in had my Covid test ready and about 3/4 days before there was a Covid outbreak in the Cardiac Unit at the hospital so cancelled and then 8 months later before doing the ablation he decided I had to have all the scans and tests and it was found that my heart had remodelled itself during that time and therefore I could not have an ablation as it was unlikely to be successful and this also ruled out further cardioversions. I am now in low rate permanent AF and just taking apixaban. Usually if you are well controlled with medication an ablation may not be necessary. There is no cure for AF so cardioversions and ablations are for quality of Life. When I started on my AF journey the AF made me feel awful fatigued and breathless - couldn't sleep and so on, that was made worse by the beta blockers or what ever medication - in fact the worst breathlessness I have ever encountered - one Saturday morning I didn't have the breath to walk downstairs - my wife called the hospital and luckily my cardiologist was there and he said to come off the beta blockers straight away. Cardioversions worked really well and its a shame I didn't get to the ablation sooner as that would have likely worked for me and I would now likely be AF free. However, I have either got used to the AF or the symptoms have lessened over time and I now have good quality of life in permanent AF. I go to the gym at least 4 times a week on bike treadmill and weight machines and walk a few miles every day.

[Elsie1955 in reply to Desanthony]

But for those of us who have successfully used beta-blockers, or at least one kind of beta blocker (flecainide and metoprolol for me) why slap me into ablation when its not needed? All he keeps saying is "long term effects" but I know people who have used it for over 15 years.

[Ducky2003]

I would say from my experience, it was never pushed but certainly recommended.

For my part, I wish I'd had mine earlier as I've now got other issues due to the AF.

Long term meds are always a concern but, due to the AF, my left atrium has enlarged and I'm now on the list for open heart surgery to repair my mitral valve. The enlargement has distorted the annulus around the mitral valve and other valves are slightly out of kilter as well because of it.

Make sure you take all things into consideration when making your decision.

[Hidden]

please check out MummyLuv on this site… look up Wolf MiniMaze - My husband just had this procedure and is AFib free! There are drs in the UK who perform this procedure.