Ablation done!

[MPA9]

I had my double ablation (both Atrias) this morning at Basildon CTC and it went really well. Never felt a thing apart from the hiccups generated when they stimulated the phrenic nerve as part of their checks. Hopefully my atrial fibrillation and flutter will be a thing of the past. Time will tell over the next few months.

[meadfoot]

Well done, such a relief for you. Rest plenty now.

[mjames1]

Congratulations! It sounded like you were awake during the ablation or did I read that wrong?

Jim

[MPA9 in reply to mjames1]

yeah, was awake for the 2hrs which seemed to fly by.

[wilsond in reply to mjames1]

Generally in the UK we are just sedated or given pain relief yes.Some more successfully than others!

[mjames1 in reply to wilsond]

You are fortunate. In the US, they mostly use General Anesthesia. So you not only have to recover from the ablation, you also have to recover from the anesthesia.

Jim

[wilsond in reply to mjames1]

Hmm yes see your point but tbh with my experience rather be knocked out ,as I take GA quite well.If we could all choose! In ideal world hey x

[mjames1 in reply to wilsond]

GA affects us all differently and what you tolerated well in the past, you may not tolerate well in the future. As we age, GA can take even a greater toll. Personally, I would trade the discomfort of conscious sedation for the risks of GA, but again, hard to find conscious sedation here.

[wilsond in reply to mjames1]

True,hopefully will not need it again ,at least a long time I hope x

[opal11uk in reply to mjames1]

Last year whilst playing table tennis I was knocked over when my partner ran into me, breaking my hip as a result. The anaesthetist informed me that, because of my age (78) the anaesthetic on coming too could make me disorientated so she would fix a 'plaster' to my forehead so that this could b e monitored during surgery to gauge the right level of anaesthetic during the op!!! When I recovered, my mind was as clear as a bell but what she used God only knows!!!

[Frances123 in reply to opal11uk]

I had the forehead plaster for anaesthesia level with my last ablation, under a GA too. I was 67 at the time.

[BlueINR in reply to mjames1]

I live in the US. I've had 3 ablations and general anesthesia was not used for any. I had no pain and only slight awareness of what was going on during procedures, no pain during it, and no need to recover from anesthesia.

[mjames1 in reply to BlueINR]

That's great. Most of the ep's I've spoken to use GA.

Jim

[ETHEL103 in reply to wilsond]

I had ga and never given a choice.I was happy to have it.

[sassy59]

Pleased it all went well for you.

[Gumbie_Cat]

Great news - take it easy with the recovery.

[BobD Volunteer]

Dont forget to read the following and rest!

healthunlocked.com/redirect...

[wilsond]

Well done,now rest ! Steady and slow at least 2 weeks xxx

[Rainfern]

Great news! Wishing you a restful healing time and perfect recovery.

[Lilypocket]

Well done! I wish you a speedy recovery. x

[MummyLuv]

great stuff, wishing you a speedy recovery and NSR

[4chickens]

Great news, wishing you a nsr recovery

[Riccyticcy]

My positive thoughts are with you! Take it easy and hope it goes the way you’d want.

[Sunnyann]

Hi MPA9.....I had my 1st ablation a year ago at basildon hospital under Dr tan which was about a 60% success but am now back on rhe waiting list for a 2nd touch up ablation .Basildon were absolutely brilliant caring for me and their arrirhymia nurse team are at the end of phone in the months after for help and support through the blanking period and beyond .

Good luck

[MPA9 in reply to Sunnyann]

I had Dr Christina Menexi at Basildon. She was great as were the whole team. Hope you get seen soon.

[Sunnyann in reply to MPA9]

I'm doing OK...I'm on holiday in the canary Islands...something I thought I would never do again pre ablation ....so even with any little set backs you may experience along the way stay positive.....Basildon are a great team for sure

[MPA9 in reply to Sunnyann]

Nice! I can’t wait to get away later this year. Hoping the blanking period is ok first.

[Sunnyann in reply to MPA9]

Just take it easy and don't do to much to soon .....and don't get to dis heartened with any blips along the way .

[MPA9 in reply to Sunnyann]

will do

[Norfolk_spaniel]

Rest a lot and don't try to get your life back too quickly. I had an ablation last October, 3 hours under general anaesethic. Any alternative to a GA was not discussed at the NNUH.

[Cassag]

Did you have to stop taking medication for 4 days before ablation? I am a bit nervous about that in case my heart rate goes too high .

[MPA9 in reply to Cassag]

No, I took all of my normal meds even on the morning of the op.

After the ablation I was told by the EP to stop taking the Amiodarone but keep on the Bisoprolol and Apixaban until the 3-month review.

[bassets]

Good luck and best wishes x

[MaryCa]

Now rest, rest, and more rest for a few weeks and let your heart heal. Best of luck for nsr ❤️

[PICCASO]

Good luck hope all goes well forever, I'm waiting for mine hopefully May, I have Atrial Flutter and Braticardia, but fell almost normal most of the time lol

[MPA9 in reply to PICCASO]

Fingers crossed for May!

[PICCASO in reply to MPA9]

Thank you

[MWIC]

best of luck and hope you’re right and get some freedom from this damned thing

[nikonBlue]

I'm going in on Tuesday for a radio frequency ablation and am terrified. so many people seem to have had several ablations over the years and that doesn't fill me with reassurance! I'm having a GA and it's good to hear someone saying they are ok afterwards. my EP said I'd be in theatre around 4 hours which seems an awful long time Is it right that I have to lay flat for several hours after the procedure does anyone know and why is that? I'm a bit of a coward with it all and have been slowly climbing the walls this past few days. I also have a needle phobia which I know is totally silly but there you are.....fingers crossed it all goes ok eh?

stay well all

Blue

[MPA9 in reply to nikonBlue]

I understand your fears as I was also somewhat apprehensive beforehand but I found it quite straight forward and painless. I had both RF ablation and cryo ablation one after the other. I was sedated and didn’t feel a thing. Good luck for Tuesday, I’m sure you’ll be fine.

[Gumbie_Cat in reply to nikonBlue]

I really worried about the lying flat thing. As it turns out, I have no memory of it. Even after sedation rather than a general anaesthetic! I can remember being wheeled back and transferred to a bed, then later sitting up and the EP speaking to me. Must have been hours later then he had finished the list - I was first procedure in the morning.

I must have slept! Anyway, the whole thing was nothing like as scary as I expected. I think you’re Edinburgh? The whole team are absolutely lovely, and really set your mind at rest. Looking forward to hearing how you get on.

ETA - I’m not even sure that you need to lie flat for quite as long these days, as I think they plug the vein with something. I could feel a small hard lump where they had gone in, which disappeared after a couple of weeks. I did get some spectacular bruising, but it wasn’t painful and it faded.

[MPA9 in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

I think I fell asleep too! They used Statseal to plug the hole in my groin so no stitches needed.

[Banquo]

Hi,Good luck with your procedure..I'm sure all will go well! The good news is docs have been doing this a long time and are way better at it and mitigating risks than the old days. 4 hours dies sound a little long for the procedure, but not crazy.. my procedure was between 2 and 3 hrs and total time in the operating room more with all the prep and post...i was completely knocked out so it went very fast.

Regarding the needles...of course there will be those, but if you have general anaesthesia most of that will happen after they put you under. But as I'm sure they have briefed you on, there are many catheters needed, etc so yes. Overall I was happy to have the ablation...the drugs had started to fail for me and being in AFib sporadically and who knows when was depressing and lifestyle changing. Compared to a lot of procedures or problems, it was fine and I'm so glad it is an available and relatively safe treatment. That said, they will always give you all the stats and potential problems to cover their behinds and let you make the decision. Yes, laying flat and resting for several hours afterward is a must for the immediate healing afterward .. and especially the esophagus worries (a very rare complication but one they pay great attention to). For me, it was outpatient but was an all day thing...I was in hospital at the crack of dawn and was released late afternoon early evening when things looked ok.

It is scary. But this is a regular stop on the AFib train. As my doc said, there is still plenty of mystery and things they don't know, especially when it comes to recurrence. But they have decades of stats and procedures at this point so that's a good thing. To be honest it was a bit tougher on me the first week or so than I expected? Headaches, a fever, etc..but it all got better. It was my first ablation and have been relatively healthy and active individual for a long time...I just was dealt some bad electrical in the ticker. I'm now 3 months or so post ablation and just got off the three meds I was taking. Scary but exciting!

Stay strong and make the decisions based on where you want to go and what is tolerable risk or worry for you to get there. It is tough to be so out of control with your own health the way heart stuff can plague you...but good for you taking the direct steps to a better life and lifestyle.

[nikonBlue in reply to Banquo]

hi and thanks for the comments. Am taking it all onboard and trying to stay somewhat positive but talk about a countdown to facing the fear!!!! Today I am plagued with the awful flutters and earlier my readings were bp-156/100 with my hr at 131.... Am guessing I'm just letting it all get to me. Breathing exercises but still high (bp132/84 hr-84 just now) and am still fluttering....that damn bag of worms wriggling in there....hate this!! thanks again though for the reassurance.

stay well

Blue

[Hidden]

Hi,

Good to hear all went well, take it easy on the road to recovery.

I am on the waiting list for my first ablation at CTC Basildon and somewhat anxious so your comments regarding your treatment there are very reassuring.

I‘ve never heard of doing an RF and Cryo one after the above although it does make sense.

[MPA9 in reply to Hidden]

You should be fine at Basildon. They’re great! Left atria cryo for afib and RF for right atria flutter.

[lovetogarden]

glad it all went well. Aren’t those phrenic nerve ”hiccups” a funny feeling! Had those today during a wide awake EP study for tachycardia. Couldn’t ablate though , would have done phrenic nerve damage. Have had 3 afib ablations, all GA. Think I prefer GA!

[MPA9 in reply to lovetogarden]

yes, I think I must have been “asleep” due to the sedation and then woke up when the hiccups started. Have you had an ablation for flutter?

[lovetogarden in reply to MPA9]

I did have a flutter ablated during one of the afib ablations. The 3rd fib ablation (august 2020) seems to have finally knocked out the afib. But the tachycardia has persisted and gotten worse. They kept me awake for the whole EP study since the6 couldn’t induce the tachycardia while under GA during last ablation.

[MPA9 in reply to lovetogarden]

That’s a shame. Hope they can get you fixed soon!

[lovetogarden in reply to MPA9]

suspect it will be meds until they can find a reliable way to isolate phrenic nerves during ablations. Did a quick check of the medical literature, seems very tricky and not always successful.