Just trying to pick some brains.I've read the ablation fact sheet and see that its perfectly normal to have a bruise and lump at the puncture site.
I just wondered for those of you who have had ablation and noticed the small lump, how long did it stay there?.
Thanks in advance
Hi sue. The lump on both sides for me was virtually gone within 5 or 6 weeks.
I had a lump, think it was after my first ablation. I was convinced that something, like a small tube had been left inside me during the procedure. Saw my GP who said it was quite normal, didn't believe him and went to A&E who also told me it was normal. Then I hung my head in shame. Think mine took about 5-6 weeks to go too. I think it's called a haematoma (a clot of blood that soon disperses).
Jean
Thanks Jean. Yes as well as reading the info sheet, I phoned the cath lab and they said haematoma too. Sounds like I got off more lightly than some with the bruise though. Mines about the size of a satsuma and I read on here that some peoples bruises have gone right down their leg!
After my last ablation (3rd) I didn't have any bruise. Did after the first two, don't think they were anything much though. How are you feeling?
I cant even begin to tell you how much better I feel Jean. After 2 and half years in permanent AF, I had forgotten what it felt like to be in sinus rhythm. It's so nice to have a calm heart. It was a big decision as you know to go down the pace and ablate route for me but the new mini maze wasnt suitable for me and although I believe that there will be big improvements in treatment for this very horrible condition, I didnt want to waste anymore years, living with the symptoms.
Yes i know that I still have AF but I wouldnt know it.
Also with the exception of apixaban, I'm off of all medication, which is also a big plus.
So glad that it has worked so well, despite the dramatic bruising.
oh I’m so pleased for you Nannysue. One thing I don’t fully understand about the pace and ablate is that you are still in AF yet your rate and rhythm is controlled by the pacemaker . I asked the arrhythmia nurse about it and still didn’t understand his reply !! Can you explain that to me ? TIA Amanda
This type of ‘AV node’ ablation, ‘disconnects’ the atria from the ventricles. The ventricles are your big heart beat, and the pacemaker now controls that. So the heart rate is steady,
The atria can then quiver away and do their own thing, but don’t affect your heart rate any more.
(My somewhat unscientific explanation!)
Very good explanation, just whats needed some times plain speaking 👍
thanks GumbieCat , much better explanation than my arrhythmia nurse gave me !!!
If you don’t mind me asking why weren’t you suitable for the mini maze ? And did you try via the nhs ?
I have another problem with my heart as well.
Great news that your feeling well and off all meds except apixaban. My bruising and lump took about 4 weeks to go.
So glad you're feeling better and I am now six weeks after the ablation in my Pace and Ablate and although the first four were a bit rocky with several fast runs the last two have been feeling more like me as I was long ago and able to sleep and do more walking and feel enthusiastic about life again. So glad I took the plunge and went for it😊
I somehow have fast forwarded and said I had the AV node ablation 2 weeks ago........I actually had it last wednesday 9th! So only 9 days ago. I think I want to run before I can walk. Anyway, so far so good. Set at 80bpm, stopped Diltiazem and Digoxin 🤞 have to go back on 7th Dec and they'll lower it to 60bpm hopefully. Just to not have that feeling of being on a roller coaster is bliss . Aside from the little lump which apparently sounds fairly common, I'm doing quite well.
So glad that you're doing well too. It's a big decision isnt it and there doesnt appear to be many on here that take it. I havent " sung" about it because I wanted to get some more time under my belt first and not tempt fate but so far so good.
That's really good to hear Sue.
Thanks Jean. My EP just said," ok just get on with life now, go off on your trips abroad, do your daring stuff, just dont do extreme contact sports like rugby". I told him that I can live without the rugby 🤣
Dissolves slowly over some weeks - I think it was about 6 weeks before mine vanished entirely. I do remember getting quite worried in the first week or so because it started getting bigger so I phoned the hospital who reassured me that as long as the wound was healing, not weeping or inflamed the lump would go and it did.
they lasted around a month for me.
hi there, congratulations on completion of your ablation. They say it’s not invasive but it is isn’t it? I had my ablation on 7 of September but I had complications so I am not probably the best advisor. The only reason I had complications is because they did go through the artery as well as the vein. generally it is normal to have a bruise as long as this bruise in a few days starts getting blurred and edges become yellowish colour. If you had ablation through the artery please confirm it with your doctors and if your bruise starts getting bigger and have sharp edges like ink stain , you would only need to worry about it if they did go through the artery. That is the key point. Then you will need to talk to the doctors. If they didn’t go through the artery, you have nothing to worry about any will go away. The lump is also usual but again if it was via the artery it could be pseudo aneurysm - again only if they went through artery.
Ask any questions - happy to answer to those I know . Speedy recovery!
I never had a lump. Had a stitch and a huge compress for 24 hours and lay flat for 5 hours after the op. That it seemed did the trick.
Glad all went well for you!
Take care
No lump and healed quickly. Main advice I will give is to try and stay relaxed with limited movement after the procedure. Although informed to relax and to limit movement whilst lying on my back I decided to lift myself up. This resulted in a bleed in the groin area that cost me a night in hospital for observation. Self inflicted but worthy of note? It is after all a main artery.
I actually had it done 9 days ago. 👍
3 weeks and it’s almost gone x
My bruising both times was about the size of a rugby ball. The lump about the size of a broad bean. The lump lasted a few weeks, the bruise much longer. I think the lump is only an issue if it gets bigger. Mine got a little bigger for a couple days...but they kept an eye on it as I was in hospital anyway. Didn't need any action.
This is starting to sound like a fisherman's tale.Who caught the biggest lump & bruise.(LOL). Seriously I do feel for you.But I am starting to worry now and still on waiting list.
Several weeks I think
Hardly any lump at all and gone in two to three days.
However, I had some dramatic bleeding from the site which was neither stitched nor dressed before I was sent home - I was told it wasn't necessary!
Went to bed for a couple of hours on return home as had been dosed up with morphine (had severe toothache in ALL teeth on waking which they told me was probably pain from the heart, after checking with ultrasound that all was ok) so was dozy. On waking, I slowly got out of bed. I picked up the hair brush from my bedside table and that was when I felt a wet sticky sensation on my foot. I looked down and I was standing in a pool of blood! PJs soaked and blood all over the carpet, although none at all on the bed.
Tried pressure but it wasn't stopping so phoned the ward and nurse advised me I needed to lay flat and keep the pressure on for at least 10 minutes. That did the trick.
Frightened me and my husband to death at the time!
xx Moy
Hi I have no experience of ablation only the dreaded A Fib. I hope you are feeling better after going through a worrying time and that the wound site heals soon. x
After my ablation I had no lump but my thigh was completely black all the way down to my knee and the bruising took about a month to disappear. I developed a chest infection straight after the ablation and the consultant had me walking up and down the hospital corridor to clear my lungs whereas they normally get you to rest so I imagine I didn’t get the blood clot that would have stopped the blood moving down the leg. However there was no pain and the infection cleared up quite quickly. It just looked amazingly dramatic.
took a very long time with me and I was leaking fluid for ages and ages ( I was a stone heavier after the ablation than before due to cooling fluid and it all had to leak out). Had it done in 2017 and I still get a sharp non lasting shooting pain in the puncture area sometimes. No idea why. Heart miles better but not right after ablation.
I've had four ablations and only one left much of a lump or bruising. Not sure why, but it cleared fairly quickly. I found the ablations very easy for the patient.
I had a fair amount of bruising on both sides that lasted almost two weeks- but no lumps.
I had bruising from my groin to just above my knee. I was convinced it would be permanent. It faded after a few months but could still see light bruising for almost a year after my ablation. I do bruise easy, but I wasn't expecting that. Happy to report it is completely gone now,.
I didn't have much bruising or lump sright after but a couple of days later I did notice a lump which eventually went away after 2-3 weeks.
I had never really noticed one. The only thing I had following my left surgery in April was the lump that everyone thought was a hematoma lol it was the new thing that they use to stop the bleeding instead of just putting weight on it. I picture it almost like a plug. It was not huge it was just there everyone was trying to break it up lol when I realized they had used with my doctor in Florida used for closing the wounds in three areas I had to laugh then thought how sad that even the attending doctor/trainee did not think about it but got in with the rest of them about a hematoma.
I had a lump for about a month and a bruise all the way down to my knee for weeks. It finally cleared but took a month.
I went the pace and ablate route. Very glad I did. However now have congestive heart failure and angina!!!
Ablation a
ABLATION 
To ablate or not to ablate
