Hi, my husband was diagnosed with AF after contacting pneumonia 4 years ago. He was on apixaban for 2 months then it was agreed he could stop taking it . He then started with it again 2 years later again on onset of illness(gastric). He was given bisoprosol and was fine for a while then was given 3 different medications over a 6 month period (sotolol flecanaide and digoxin) all of which he had bad reactions to so has just been on Bisoprosol for the last 12 months. He was put on a waiting list for an ablation and he has just been contacted to have a telephone appointment prior to having the procedure, however he has not had an incident since last April. Can I ask your opinions if you would have this done please. He going to pay to his his Cardiologist as well to discuss.
sorry for the long post.
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Oak321
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Ablation is an elective procedure so it’s not necessary in the sense that some procedures are so you might discuss with your EP the pros and cons of ablation and ask what type of ablation and what sort of outcomes does your EP have?
Ablation may help, it may not so what I would suggest is look at how AF affects your and your husband’s quality of life now and if not much you might ask why now? When in AF how do you both cope? Does it stop you living your life? Is he very symptomatic? What adjustments to Lifestyle have you both made and has or will that make a difference?
It is a perennial question and it’s one to which there are many varying thoughts - you both need to be clear whether or not it is what you want and ask Am I better with or without? There is a consensus of opinion that says the younger and fitter you are and the earlier in the AF journey you take an ablation will affect your outcome.
Some people recover from ablation really quickly whilst others find they are still recovering months afterwards and it’s impossible to say how you will be. Worth time asking lots of questions, doing lots of research and really understanding what the whole procedure and recovery involves.
Interesting one. You said that he has not had afib since last April. Maybe he hasn't - however, some people are asymptomatic and could have many attacks but not be aware of them. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there's a chance he has.
Now I have my personal opinion about what I would do but I'm not a doctor and won't say. Whether or not to have an ablation procedure is a personal decision that should be made in consultation with your cardio who knows about your husband's medical history and current health.
It sounds like he may be an ideal candidate for ablation. I think though only your hubby and cardio can decide the best way forward. Make an informed decision then move forward one way or the other.
Maybe my answer doesn't really address your question very well. Be guided by his cardio who (should) determine if it is/is not the right choice for him.
Paul
Don’t worry about the long post, you should see some of mine! The direct and simple answer to your question is no but like most things medical, things are rarely that simple. I see you are from the UK. As a general rule, if you are offered an ablation on the NHS, then you can be fairly sure that your Consultant is confident that your husband will benefit from the procedure. Without wanting to sound provocative, if it is being offered as private treatment and your husband’s quality of life is generally good and the “burden” of AF is low, then you are right to be cautious.
However, is is rarely as simple as that either. It is again generally accepted that the sooner an AF patient is ablated, the more successful it is likely to be. Similarly, if he is aged around 60, then he could end up taking quite potent medication for the rest of his life. Bearing in mind, AF begets AF, it is possible that episodes will increase in both frequency and duration over time and AF could become 24/7. That may sound pretty formidable, but I know very many people in permanent AF who manage it well with medication, lead relatively normal lives and wouldn’t dream of letting anybody tinker with their ticker.
Personally, I’m pro ablation, having had two and been largely in normal sinus rhythm since 2015. We get a lot of posts from people saying that they experience problems during the so called blanking period (up to 6/9 months after their ablation) which is to be expected but we rarely hear from people wishing that they had never had their ablation. Hopefully you will get lots of helpful responses but whether they help or confuse remains to be seen.
If you have confidence in your Doctor and he/she is carrying out the procedure on the NHS, be guided by their advice….hope this helps and good luck…..
it sounds as though it is illness that sets your husband’s AF off. If he outs it off he may have another illness and then wish he’d gone ahead while he was well. I’m not giving an opinion either way, that’s just something to think about.
If your husband hasn’t been in AF since April and is not bothered by medication side effects, then I would suggest that he speaks with the cardiologist to ask if the ablation can be postponed for the moment. He should also check that he can go back onto the waiting list in the future if his AF flares up again.
After eighteen months of consideration during which I’ve tried to find the lowest effective dose of medication, I’ve finally gone onto the waiting list for an ablation because my paroxysmal AF is not fully controlled on the highest dose of medication that I can tolerate. I have short episodes of AF about once a week, which can last anything from 5 min to 2 hours. If I was AF free on medication that I could tolerate then I personally wouldn’t have an ablation. It’s an invasive procedure with both a significant risk of complications, and a significant failure rate.
well I get a paf attack once every few weeks lasting about 12 hours. I am aware I have it but any symptoms are mild. Can’t take any medication other than apaxiban. My ep discharged me he didn’t think it was worth the risk because the symptoms don’t change my lifestyle or very minimally. So it probably depends how you feel when in an attack. Jane
I pushed for an ablation as soon as possible. I had it done within 6 months of diagnosis and I’m very glad I did. While I could exist without problems while in AF, it prevented me from doing things I enjoyed.
6 1/2 years later, I’m very glad I did. My life is completely normal as it was before diagnosis. For me an early intervention was definitely the right choice.
The important thing about the heart is its ability to pump well. I would ask the cardiologist (whether EP trained or not, it won't matter), what he or she thinks is the prognosis for the condition and whether an ablation would change this for the better.
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