I recd a telephone call from Cardiology offering me an Ablation for Monday 26 Sept 2022. My husband advised me to take it, so I accepted the offer. I did query why I had been offered this so quickly as only diagnosed with Atrial Flutter in June 2022. Apparently it is due to the fact I am unable to take beta blockers as I have very low blood pressure. Also my tachycardia is playing up and my body is not at all happy. Its scary as my EP is now someone different but looking at his CV he has an excellent track record with Ablation complex or less so which is reassuring. He also is apparently very good with nervous patients, mind you he hasn't met me yet! Poor man. He prefers sedation over GA as likes to chat to his "victims", sorry should have said "patients" whilst he is doing the procedure. To say i'm anxious is an understatement but have been calmed a little by reading the fact sheets re Ablation on this wonderful site.
So am trying to get my stupid anxious head in the right place, pretending I am an adult and being so grateful to be offered this procedure so early in my diagnosis.
Have my fingers and toes crossed that I behave myself and all goes well as I have an elderly doggy who needs me, and mustn't forget a husband who is putting on a brave face about everything whilst going thro heart problems himself.
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I think you are doing the right thing. Ablations for Atrial Flutter are easier than they are for AF and the success rates are higher too. Here in the UK, you can be fairly confident that if you are offered an ablation, that it’s the right thing to do.
Good luck for Monday, you have done all you can to prepare yourself for the procedure and I’m sure it will go well for you. When you feel able, please let us know how you get on…….
Its only natural to be nervous,I sympathise! I had a long time to dither and whitter about should I/should I not due to Covid shutdown and aftermath. At least you are in very soon.
I too had a different EP on the day from my own but to be honest after my long wait things were getting much worse and I just wanted it done!
I had mine done 14 weeks ago, no flutter since,not once. So good luck and let us know please xx
That’s not good and a worry. Hopefully your symptoms will soon disappear. I have just had my GP surgery contact me to have my covid booster and flu jab, which I will make a decision on after my procedure.
That's what is concerning me. I'm worried that if I have the booster I might go back into flutter. My heart problems started a few months after having my Pfizer booster and I am still sometimes getting flutters and ectopic beats and high heart rate so its all a bit worrying. Hope your Afib has settled now.
Yes it has.I waited for 36 hours for the cardio nurse to get back to me so i looked after myself.I took a verapimil as a pip and after 2 hours hr slowed.I dont want to.put any one off the booster but im not sure i will have another one as it has caused me a lot of stress. The nurse said i did the right thin g.Most people i know had no side effects at all.I guess us hearties are vunerable.
It is very normal to worry but ask yourself would I, a devout coward, have had four ablations if they were nasty. As Flapjack has said flutter is easier to ablate than fibrillation so you will be fine. Glad you found the fact sheets useful so hope you take our advice.
yes fact sheets were a great help and I will definitely be having lots and lots of rest afterwards as I want the best outcome I can get. Thank you for your reassurance
The procedure always seems more scary than it actually is. You will be fine, and when it is done you will wonder what all the fuss was about. Our minds can conjure up all sorts of strange and untrue scenarios 😊. You have an opportunity to feel better with this ablation so go into it with a strong positive outlook . Good luck !
good luck on Monday, by Tuesday you will be so relieved that it’s done, and at least this way there isn’t weeks wait to get more and more stressed about it
I have had ablations for Afib and AFlutter. Flutter easier for the EP. You will be fine, best wishes for a successful outcome! I was quoted 90% success rate for flutter ablations.
I did not have GA for my ablation and didn't know it was an option. I was well sedated, not aware of anything and only slight pain after procedure was finished.
hi, I was told sedation is the preferred option to EP's as I did ask whether GA was available. But my EP stated recovery with GA was longer and he liked his patients to be awake but sedated. Thank you for your reassurance
Good luck for Monday. Atrial Flutter is much more easily got rid of permanently than A/Fib so go for it confidently. You are very fortunate not to have to wait cos the earlier the better.
yes I cannot believe how quickly I was booked in. I was told it would be a year to wait, then 8 weeks ish as I could not tolerate meds plus my symptoms were getting worse. It helped speed things up when I accepted a cancellation appointment. So I am so grateful. Thank you for your best wishes
I'm sure you will be fine and it will be great to have your life back to normal. I saw my cardiologist last week hoping to be offered the procedure but he told me I was too old - just had my 71 birthday. Wonder if it depends on the area. Let us know how you are doing. Thinking of you for tomorrow.💐
how very rude of your Cardiologist to say you were too old! I’m sure it depends where in the country you are as to availability. I would have been so annoyed if my Cardiologist had said that to me. My father continued to have heart procedures well into his 90’s so I would be querying the age cut off. Thanks for your good wishes
Thoughts will be with you tomorrow, but I have no doubt the procedure will be fine. When I was last in AF they wanted to cardiovert me and I refused as I was too nervous, so no doubt that when I get offered ablation I will be feeling exactly the same.
yes the old anxiety and stress levels play havoc with most things I do, its so annoying and frustrating when they impact on life in general. I do hope you get offered a procedure to help you with your symptoms. In a way its good I have little time to get myself in a state about the Ablation. A part of me wants to cancel, but then I tell myself off as I have been given a chance to get better. Thank you
I remember being so nervous but a little sedative and their caring voices I was totally at peace, and all went so smoothly and quickly. Wishing you well.
Although I am far too much of a coward to face the operation myself unless my AF was totally out of control, the advantage of having it early is that the success rate is likely to be far higher. When you get into permanent AF like me, though fortunately with it controlled quite well with beta blockers, the chance of ablation success is down around 50% or lower with more complications. Having been diagnosed early before it has had a chance to become persistent or permanent, it does make sense to consider a treatment which can bring about a lessening of risk. Good luck.
I had a last minute offer too which was scary. However I went ahead ! It was fine. I had lots of sedation and was beautifully cared for. I rested afterwards for quite a while (worth it I believe) and it has made all the difference to me. Good luck ,let us know how you get on.
I had the same happen to me in 2019 and was so very glad to be able to get it all over with as my atrial flutter was very difficult to cope with. The procedure, as others have said, is quick and straightforward as it is performed in the right top chamber of the heart, the right atrium. This is the first chamber entered by the catheter. coming up from the femoral vein from the entry point in the groin and then up through into the heart via the inferior vena cava. The area to be ablated for AFl is also clear and can be fully and accurately ablated without fear of damage to nearby organs since the heart wall, here, is thicker. It's all good for AFl ablations! there's no blanking or healing period, either, so you'll feel better very quickly and off your drugs. The anticoagulant will be dependent upon your Chads score, though.
thanks so much for the very interesting info in your response. All sounds positive which is reassuring. I have a score of 2 so will def continue with Epaxaban for life.
Wishing you all the best for tomorrow. Im also a coward and going in tomorrow for a pacemaker insertion ( first part of a pace and ablate procedure) and I know exactly how you are feeling. Good luck, im sure all will be well.
bless you I’m sure your procedure will go well. My old dad had a pacemaker in 2007 fitted in Cyprus after medical emergency whilst on holiday and a new “F1 “ model as he called it fitted a few years ago of which kept him well and fit. All done under local anaesthetic and he said afterwards he didn’t know why he had worried about having it done. He lived until he was nearly 97yrs old and died not from a heart problem but due to his old age. Take care
well I wish you all the best! I am 52 with Afib they offered it to me twice snd I turned them down.. are you on a lot of meds? Why is your pressure so low? Have you read The Afib Cure? I am curious.. 😊
hi I’m 71 female, vegetarian, don’t smoke or drink and BMI is excellent . So not really a candidate for a heart problem, well so I thought. I have always had low blood pressure, like my father did. No particular reason as far as I know. My GP says it’s excellent but unfortunately when I started Bisosporol I could not tolerate even the 1.25mg once a day. My BP Was around 82/53 with pulse of 53 consequently felt faint and couldn’t function. So I am only on Edoxaban 30mg once a day. I also react to fillers in tablets. My GP thinks I’m a bit of a nightmare to treat because of it! I like to keep him on his toes. No haven’t read the AFib Cure. The EP didn’t like the fact I was having too many episodes of Flutter. So the offer for Ablation was a bit of a shock at this early stage of diagnosis . Mind you I didn’t know I had a problem until June this year and I accepted a cancellation appointment
I had an ablation last year which was not at all as awful as I thought. I was sedated but woke to see the inside of my heart on the big monitor screen and had a chat wih the EP. You will need to take it very easy afterwards but I hope you will find it a great help as I did. Best of luck and wishes.
I’ve had two and like you was very nervous but I assure you that it’s worth having it done as the improvements to your life will be enormous. Trust in the EP team - I am sure they will put you at ease. The worst part is the anticipation and waiting. This time next week you will feel that you are a different person. But do follow the info sheet and take it easy - it’s easy to get sucked in to thinking you can do loads of stuff because you feel well. There are only three things you need to remember immediately post ablation - rest, rest and more rest. Good luck tomorrow.
Good luck! Do let us know how you get on. I’m on a waiting list for a cryoablation for AFib and I am nervous. However, medication hasn’t been great for me so far. Just tried my first ‘pill in the pocket’ on Friday and it didn’t work.
I was supposed to go into A&E and get a cardioversion if it didn’t work in 6 hours, but we were just leaving Scotland for a family holiday in the Lake District and after my last experience I don’t think they would have done it. (The rate was lowered but still AFib.)
So after two days it has plunged into Bradycardia. I feel like I’m stuck with a heart rate in the low 40s, or the risk of going into AFib. Sometimes it feels like it’s harder to control for those of us with naturally low resting heart rates and/or low blood pressure.
goodness that sounds scary. You poor thing. Hope they can get your symptoms sorted as sounds horrible and very unsettling. Yes low BP normally and then getting arrhythmia is not a good mix. My heart is all over the place at present as I cannot tolerate Bisosporol. One minute in tachycardia then fluttering then seems to stop with a few etopics in the mix then goes really slow before it speeds up again has made me quite fed up. So hope this procedure helps. Sending you a hug
Good luck for Monday. Its only natural to be anxious but as many have said flutters are easier to deal with. I had mine 'sorted' many years ago now. Still get afib but at least no flutter. I shall be thinking of you. It will soon be over. Let us know how you get on. Brave lady.
Lucky you to be offered an ablation so quickly! You will be fine. It will be all over before you know whats "hit" you and you can go on to lead your best life! 👌
Best thing ever for me... I had some minor discomforts afterwards (you can search my posts if you want more details), but I would absolutely do it again! It made a huge difference to me.
You've probably been made aware (if you've read the literature here) but visual migrains/aura are quite common afterwards - don't freak out - they will pass in 30 minutes or so. I had a few.
I also had some oesophageal discomfort that needed some omeprazole for a couple of weeks, so don't be afraid to mention any symptoms to the AF team.
I had mine done in June this year and I almost left the hospital when the consultant came to talk over the op I was totally terrified
I am very lucky as my ablation was a success fingers and everything crossed that it stays that way I’m still being careful not eating or drinking things I know are not good for me but I don’t mind that and next week is my follow up telephone consultation regarding my well-being and hopefully coming off the meds so onwards and upwards 🤞 I hope
the very best of luck,,it is a worrying time,naturally, but definitely the right decision,,ive had 2 ablation procedures, 1 in 2017 and the other last year,,so i feel your anxiety,,all will be fine,,and your dead right ,,our other halves worry as much as we do,,but put on a brave face for our sake,,, keepus posted
Go for it! You are bound to be anxious but it is just awesome what they are able to do. I too have low blood pressure and chose ablation in the hope I could stop taking bisoprolol. My procedure (for AF) was at the end of August and I have been pleasantly surprised at how straightforward the recovery has been. The fact sheets are absolutely brilliant. My main concern has been a faster pulse rate but now in week four post ablation it is starting to settle.
Good luck and please let us know how it goes for you.
I was advised to just stop 3 weeks after ablation. However because my heart rate was quite high (but no AF) I waited for that to settle. I will be stopping in the week ahead. I was only on 1.25mg and last December when I was on 2.5 but experiencing serious 'spaced out' symptoms (blood pressure drop) GP said I was over medicated and to just halve the dose. I did that with no ill effects so am hoping I can banish the bisoprolol for good now.
Update on my previous reply…. Spoke to my arrhythmia nurse today and she said ablation patients are often advised to stick with the beta blocker through the three month blanking period. However, she said that on my notes the EP had said it should be OK to stop after four weeks so this week I’m going to try just taking on alternate days and see what happens.
hi there, I am 56 and had ablation done on 7 sept I have picked up a couple of complication due to this -
1 they went through an artery as well as vein, because my % of ectopic beats was too high- 22% and beta blockers made me very slow, even a minimal dose reduced heart rate to 36 some days… so like you I agreed to ablation. , there were two sources of ectopic beats identified and it took longer than originally planned.
Complications I managed to get -
1. I got pseudoaneurysm which was picked up by CT scan and 10 days after ablation I had emergency surgery which was all fine, no complications, thankfully, I am at home now.
2. The second thing potentially could happen is a damage to a femoral nerve during the ablation, which also happened to me, making my leg numb and painful at the same time. This happens rarely but I got ‘lucky’ - two rare complications! I was told this goes away usually but if not it is something I can live with as long as there is no pain. If it happens you need to ask GO to give you gabapentin and ask for physio but hopefully you miss it!
On a positive side - having had terrible palpitations in the past I now feel like I am 35 again, going to sleep is nice, no heart trembling, nothing. They managed to reduce my 22% to 0%!!!!! It is amazing .
The reason they don’t usually use general anaesthetic for this type of procedure is because when your body is unde GA it goes to ‘safe’ mode and your heart picture is different or rather not complete, as they would be hidden- the ectopics, I mean. they would not be able to see where the source of ectopic beats is so best to be awake and just under sedation. When they inject local anaesthetic in your groin just take a very deep breath - it helps. Further in the process once they found your sources of actopics You will feel pressure in your chest when they start burning the source of Ectopics but it’s manageable. Remember the good result is instant and once you recovered you will be fine!
Ask to avoid going through the artery to avoid pseudoaneurysm ! They should go through a vein.
Let me know if you want more information. And good luck for Monday!
goodness you have had an scary time with your procedure so pleased that things have improved for you nevertheless. Your info has been noted just in case.
You will be fine. Take some relaxing music or an audio book on your phone with headphones. I listened to something really soothing when waiting for my 1st ablation. It really helped. Also, take a cosy shawl or similar in case its draughty. And if necessary a neck pillow in case they are doing several that day and you dont get called in to pre op till late morning. I actually took my phone on airplane mode with my headset and listened to it during the procedure first time as sedation only.
thanks for the advice. I’m second in the queue but the first patient is a difficult one so might not go into cath lab till lunchtime. Horrible waiting but at least it’s being done.
I just had my ablation for atrial flutter last week, trust me it is a piece of cake , I went to sleep and woke up and it was over! I was very sleep for a few days from anesthesia but other than that I felt nothing different! You will be fine! I just have to hope my AFIB stays away or I will need that ablated also!
was happy I was taken off my anti arrhythmic drug multaq but had to stay on elequis and the other heart meds just wonder why dr added a baby aspirin and two proton pump inhibitors also , more pills 😫😫
Had ablation done 4 years ago was really worried but it really was an ok experience nothing to worry about think the worrying beforehand is the hardest part
I have had an ablation and it is the best thing I have ever had. I have been really stable ever since and I would have another one if necessary. I didn't feel poorly afterwards, just a bit tired for a while. Hope all goes well and it sorts out all your problems! Good luck, Dulcimer
A good chance to get it done quickly, without fretting for months! Hope all goes well and they smash that pesky tachycardia. (My 2nd ablation took place with 24 hours notice! Someone cancelled and since I wasn’t on blood thinners, they called and put me on the schedule.) look forward to hearing from you after the procedure!
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Ablation Experience
Had my ablation on Monday
Ablation ?
