hi can anyone tell me if having the heart ablation is painful? I am very scared of having it done. I have sudden onset of SVT, diagnosed in January
is ablation painful?: hi can anyone... - Atrial Fibrillati...
is ablation painful?
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Patsy_23
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Not at all. They put you out with a general anasthesia and a 6 hours later ya go home. Waking up with a less than full vocabulary was the only side affect for a few weeks.
thanks so much
Ask your surgical team if you are to have General Anaesthetic, usually ablation are under sedation and pain relief in the U k depends on surgeons preferences. They keep a very close eye on you and you can signal if you are uncomfortable .
The teams are very good and very attentive.
The leaflets here are really excellent!
Sedation wasn’t effective for me so they decided GA was best for me for my last ablations.
Much better for me in my opinion.
Pete
I would prefer a GA if possible as my anxiety will be terrible
The sedation and pain relief were very effective for me, and I was terrified at the idea. The staff are always so good at putting your mind at rest.
I’ve been told mine will be under sedation, so I’m very apprehensive too!
If you are nervous, ask for GA. You may have a longer wait but it's worth it.
already asked, no GA got to be sedation!
they prefer sedation, better results apparently, I’ll wait till nearer th3 time to ask again as I find it difficult to lie on my back for too long!
I don't understand that, as I was told the opposite. Be careful that they are not fobbing you off because of additional cost with GA.
other people have said the same, my GP also said it was safer ! I think having a cardiac arrest in December doesn’t help either!
They are probably referring to the possible risks associated with having a GA. Nothing to do with being safer for the actual procedure.
Dont be. I had mine done 3 years ago. They give you a sedative so you feel drowsy and top up the pain killer if you get uncomfortable. I actually quite enjoyed the experienced. Was very nervous before though I will admit! A much quicker recovery too.
That's what I thought Patsy.I am someone terrified of dentists.But as it would mean a 12 months extra wait so put my big girl pants on & thought it might be interesting to see what was going on. And guess what I missed all the interesting bits.Only painful bit is when they are pushing the catheters through the veins and that was very short lived and quite bearable.I guess I waited so long my anxiety turned to I am happy to get this done.And all the best wishes from my waiting room post gave me such a comfort and I felt I had loads of people with me.Thanks folks.Kathy
I wasn't given the choice
as you may know I had 7 ablations.
The first 3 were sedation.
They realised that sedation was ineffective for me. My ablations were all very long procedures lasting 6-7 hours it was so stressful for me being semi awake laying in a cold cath lab on a hard table.
I had a change of EP due to retirement and it was agreed that GA would be more suitable for me.
At that stage I was unaware I was to have 4 more ablations so glad GA was the decision.
Pete
that’s very reassuring, thank you so much
It's not so bad,and gets better results my EP says,really you will be soon looked after and no ongoing GA after effects. Truly,my life has changed 100%. 10 months on...no AF or AFlutter since,except two incidents.Worse at dentist lol
No they don't often do that in the UK actually. They sedate and pain relieve
Here in France it is more the rule than the exception to have GA. I think it is because sedation was often used for 1st ablation with Cryroablation but some people often needed a second. So now they do GA first time as a general rule and do preventative work while doing the procedure. So basically if you want a good EP here, none of them do ablations under sedation ( except for health reasons of the patient) as their thinking is if you have GA and radio frequency they can deal with areas as they find them to avoid you coming back ( hopefully 🙂). x
Hi,
I just had it done 3 weeks ago in Edinburgh and was under a GA. It was the EP's decision so I wasn't given the choice but to be honest, I too was very nervous about having it done and was relieved that I'd be asleep. Don't be shocked at the bruising on the leg afterwards though.....I didn't realise it would be so impressive and still there but fading after 3 and a bit weeks. You'll be fine, honest!
Stay well all,
Blue 
Good afternoon Patsy_23, it is normal to feel anxious or concerned when undergoing a procedure at the hospital. I am sure other members of the community will be happy to share their experiences and help ease your mind.
You may also find it useful to take a look at our information sheet on preparing for an ablation: api.heartrhythmalliance.org...
Please feel free to contact our patient services team on 01789 867 502 or email info@afa.org.uk if you have any questions about the procedure or if you would like to talk things through.
Ablation info sheet
thank you so much
Wish I had! Had GA for other surgery not an option for this. Not my Eps preference, says he gets better results, and he is well regarded
You will be a new woman!
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
The sooner you have it done the better the chance for 100% success.. I had no ther comorbidities so went ahead and got it done now 7 years ago but i was and still are in great physical condition for the most part.
I’ve had 2 Afib ablations under GA. Zero pain.
It's very uncomfortable but you can have an anaesthetic although I didn't, I had a local so I was more or less awake, one thing I remember, it was very cold in the theatre and I actually went home with a cold !
Hi I had it done last year under sedation and didn't feel a thing. I was completely away with the fairies! Even once home just experienced mild aches in my chest and also my groin where they went in. Have a chat with your EP to help put your mind at ease.
Hiya, if possible make sure you have a general anaesthetic, I was scheduled to have a GA but on the day they just sedated me. It was a bit like really bad brain freeze as mine was a cryoablation. The sedation wasn't very effective but it was better than nothing. General anaesthetic would definitely be my choice if I have another procedure. Best of luck.
I am the biggest wuss and it was fine. Tell them you are scared! They will look after you. Sedation is usual in uk unless there are special reasons for GA, there are longer waiting times for GA in many areas and GA carries its own risks. I was so scared but it was really ok, I was barely conscious, they asked me all the time if I was ok, I had heated blankets in a cold theatre and someone held my hand! And the bruise on my groin was tiny.
Dentist a thousand times worse. I will beg for another ablation if this successful one doesn’t last. Two years 6 months so far.
Be guided by the team and tell them! Good luck go for it.
I’ve had two ablations both under GA in past two years. My EP based atOxford cardiac centre prefers GA.
I wouldn’t describe them as painful at all. Groin tender afterwards from cannula wound and tight dressing to stop bleeding caused bruising - nothing a couple of paracetamol didn’t solve. Felt v fatigued afterwards but buoyed up by relief it was all over with. Bit of a sore throat for 24 hours from device used to view heart from inside stomach but again hardly noticeable.
I took it very easy for a couple of weeks by which time all post procedure symptoms had gone. If I am honest worrying about it was much worse than the procedure itself and was in at 7:00 and out by 5:30 same day. The fact sheets produced by this group are really helpful.Would I have a third ablation if I needed it? Absolutely!
Best wishes and good luck. Jeff
I had GA with my first one and didn’t know a thing until I was coming round which in my case wasn’t straight forward, I am afraid my first didn’t work so am booked in to have my second in June my husband did ask if I could be sedated but the EP said it is best to have GA as you don’t feel any thing. I think the worse part is the unknown and the waiting.
My recollection is of a slow soft journey, the nurse held my hand and every now and then supplied the red wine, don't be afraid it's all in a good cause and worth it
I was terrified as well, and it was a good experience. Not painful at all and you will relax once you are there. I wouldn’t be scared at all if I had to do it again.
Sedation for me, five months ago. My expectation was that the sedation wouldn’t effect me. I fell asleep and didn’t feel a thing!
You will be fine, Patsy.
Having any kind of surgery causes anxiety for most people, me included. My doctor gave me something to relax me before I actually went in for the procedure. I have had two ablations. The first one, I came home the same day. The second one was this past January and I stayed overnight for observation. They will monitor you closely while being observed. The discomfort is minimal, Tylenol was the strongest thing I needed. I was worried about my little dogs jumping on my groin where the catheter was inserted, I kept a pillow on my lap to protect it. Hope this eases your anxiety🙏
Mine was under sedation and pain relief ie morphine and I was able to signal to them if it become uncomfortable. To be perfectly honest it did a couple of times but other than that it was absolutely fine.
Mine was under sedation. I went off to sleep at the beginning and woke up near the end. I had no pain at all. All in all, I remember it as a nice day.
oh don’t be scared it for me was the best thing since sliced bread!
Not really. I had two: The first one a PVI CRYOABLATION for AFIB. The only "pain" is the brain freeze like biting into a very cold ice cream on a hot day. That is where you feel it, nothing in my chest.
The second was a RF ablation for reentrant Atrial flutter right atria. A bit of pain in that one, again nothing in the chest, the pain felt was in the right shoulder. It only lasts for seconds and is not as bad as the dentists drill!
I had sedation only for both. I would sooner have this than a GA as you are fine less than an hour after and I went home ghe same day.
No pain at all from the entry point which is a local despite having two entries in a month!
In fact on the first the catheters were in place without me realising
Minor soreness the day after.
Nothing to fear.
And the good news is that 5 years later I have no AFib or AFlutter and have not had to take ANY Drugs since May 2018!
I've had two with sedation and one with GA. I was awake and aware for the two. Some level of discomfort to begin (depending on whether cryo or AF you might feel cold or hot sensation ) and obviously first time it feels a bit scary but no pain, and they give you more pain relief if you need it. You're in good hands. It's understandable to be anxious but try not to worry. You'll be OK. They really know what they are doing.You need time to recover afterwards. Bed rest to begin. A one night stay in hospital then taking it very easy for next few days. A few more weeks at slower than usual pace. The fact sheets are invaluable. 🌸
dont worry I was awake ! I was mildly sedated had I was awake most of it , but like the comment said earlier the nurse supplies the ‘red wine ‘ or something that makes you feel super relaxed 😎 I am going in for a second investigation study .. hopefully it’s just to confirm something minor. Don’t worry and take it easy the next day x
Just to add one thing .If you are like me and wear trousers all the time sort out one or two loose pairs as they can rub on the groin area .Same with knickers.Good luck.
Kathy
I’ve had 4 abalations - 2 under GA and 2 sedated and they were all fine. I’m very anxious and by the time I had my third, I was so blasé about it. Good luck 😉
Mine was under sedation ,I didn't even notice the 3.5 hours it took flyby! The only thing noticeable was when the rf was actually ablating a spot & the surgeon warned me each time he was going to ablate, there was a definite sensastion similar to heartburn of around 20/30 seconds. You might have the spot frozen or burned to create the scarring needed. ALL quite bearable even the bruised groin area wasn't to tender. A pacemaker IMPLANT is much quicker & less traumatic should you ever have to need one! Best wishes on your journey.
thank you all so much for your reassurance
not at all really. Put me out with sedative. Came to as being put back on trolley. Went home a few hours later. Discomfort for a couple of days. That’s it 😀. Good luck
My husband just had pulse field ablation 3 weeks ago under GA. His atrial flutter and afib were fixed. He had a terrible headache and jaw ache after the procedure and now he is fine. It is important to fix it before the structure of the heart gets damaged then it’s more difficult.
He had no choice but to fix it because it turned from paroxysmal to persistent and flecanide did not work at all. The leaflet on arrhymias was very helpful as it was very informative.
So glad that inspite of all the fears got it fixed.
Thanks so much for asking that question! I’ve been wondering about that too!
I was also going to ask on here , how long the pain in your heart lasts after the procedure? (It must do surely?)
I’m having mine in London soon and I asked to have a GA and understood that I’d have to be on the waiting list for longer because of this.
I’m in NSR at the moment 🙏so I said I would wait the extra months.
I hope all goes well with you.
I’ve never had “pain” as such; just weird feelings that go away. Your throat might hurt a bit from the intubation and you might have some minor issues at the incision site. Absolutely ask your surgeons and nurses about these worries.
Many thanks. 🙂
I’ve had five of them, all under general anesthesia and each was a piece of cake. Recovery can be managed by taking it easy and a bit of paracetamol.
I did not find it painful. I had general anesthesia and only required a Tylenol for minor discomfort afterwards. I was discharged the next day and didn’t even require Tylenol after that.
When you get to the stage of being in symptomatic P-AF most of the time with just the odd day off so quality of life is poor , pain becomes irrelevant.
I wish I didn't have to wait so long for an ablation it looks like it will be a year now.
Yes, I understand what you’re saying. I was in permanent Afib for many months and never self correct…
I had my RF ablation about 4 months ago...under GA (I think here in the States that's pretty much a given). So no pain during as you are completely out which is great as long as you are trusting. I woke up to scratch on my eye where they ripped off some tape .. but that heals up. A sore throat and raspy voice for a bit..again not horrible. Slightly less pleasant was the catheter removal from my wee wee and the discomfort urinating for a few days. Yowza. Also, and not particularly common by the sound of it, that evening and next day I had a horrible fever and headache. Those slowly diminished over next couple days. Some tightness and pressure in chest and soreness in groin .. those I expected and were normal. All told, post op was a touch rougher and took longer than I thought, but I think my expectations were unrealistic..not helped by the marketing and some folk and docs acting like you just roll out of bed and start jogging in 3 days. Um, no. I've had headaches on and off since the ablation, which I didn't expect. Did fine for 3 months healing up in the meds after, no AF returning, but then off the drugs AF came back within a couple weeks ..I'm looking at having a 2nd procedure this summer.
So .of course you're scared! But as others have said, this procedure is worth it and was really the only path at a certain point. You'll do great. I still hope that one day I can get off the drugs for at least a nice chunk of time, measured in years not weeks. The first ablation was not the magic bullet for me, but it is for some. It is mysterious .
Dear Patsy, I totally understand your concern and 1, I wish I had had an ablation much sooner than I did. Years of trying lifestyle adjustments, rate controllers like beta-blockers meant years of always managing my afib and decreasing quality of life. Since my ablations (as is common 1 didn’t quite take care of my issues), I feel SOOO much better. If you’re really worried about the ablation, you can just keep managing it with medication, etc.. 2) I’m in the US where GA is common. I’m happy I had that, no pain - no worry that the sedation wouldn’t work. But plenty of people report no pain with the sedation route and it’s much safer (apparently). Good luck,
Patsy, I've had three and had no pain whatsoever with any of them. My only discomfort was a feeling of heaviness in the chest for a couple weeks after; a very similar feeling I get a day after lifting something too heavy.
It is not painful. You may be a little sore the next day but not bad.
No, not at all, no pain. I've had 3, no general anesthesia, but enough local anesthesia to feel nothing. Last ablation I had, no GA, also included a pacemaker placed, and I never felt the incision for that. There is no cutting for an ablation, hence no pain. For me, worst part was lying still so long afterward. It was very boring!
go for general anaesthetic and it’s a breeze. I was sedated for my first ablation but never again.!!! My last two were done under general anaesthetic and it was plain sailing.👍
I was sedated or anesthetized when I had them. I had an epicardial minimaze ablation and was completely anesthetized. The worst part of that was the emplacement of the IV's and that wasn't painful as much as it was surprising. I subsequently had a catheter ablation and woke up in the middle of that. There was some heart pain when I woke up, but it was easily tolerated and they quickly upped my sedation and put me out. So there really wasn't any significant pain to speak of in either of the procedures.
3 ablations here. 2 under sedation and 1 under GA. No pain during those procedures for me.
Can't remember any of the actual ablating. On the 3rd one (a sedated one) they even fed the catheter up into my left atrium before sedating me. Couldn't feel anything.
Obviously the catheter entry point was a bit tender for a few days each time.
Not painful, just ask for more medication, I have had 5 and been ok,don't worry.👍🏻👍🏻
My ablation took 5 1/2 hrs. I had atrial flutter, so I had the radio frequency burn for that, and they did the cryo freeze for a fib as well. I came out of the general anesthesia and procedure well and feeling fine. My problem was sinus node disease causing the atrial flutter and had to have a pacemaker implanted. I chose to have the ablation to put an end to having to have cardio versions to "reset" my heart beat. So far 9 mo's. later all is well. The pacemaker has taken over my pacing and all is well. After the procedure I did have some periodic chest pain, attributed to everything settling down and the pacemaker and remaining sinus node function trying to work things out. I had a skip beat and irregular heartbeat prior to the ablation, and now that has all ended. So, does it hurt? The procedure itself doesn't hurt because you are out, and afterwards there may or may not be some discomfort associated with things settling down afterwards, but I am glad I had it done.
Wow, I see you have received many replies so not sure if this has been shared or not. Nothing about the pre-operation or the actual operation was painful (general anesthesia) and even immediately after the surgery there was no pain. However, for me there were three instances of pain/discomfort - getting catheter removed, getting IV removed (unbelievable ordeal really) and then actual pain when trying to take deep breath for the first day after leaving hospital. Breathing deep hurt considerably. I’m guessing they used the paddles on me several times to get me out of afib during the surgery and expect that made muscle and tissues tense in ways that are not common for me thus causing the pain. None of those things would keep me from doing it again though.
Sorry for another post. I like the sedation, it is very peaceful. Counting backward from 100 I get to 98 and wake up in a different room feeling fine. Even the abdominal scar was fine.
Unfortunately I woke up the next morning with severe pain when I took even a tiny breath. I had to return to Boston. It was due to water in my chest cavity, they use a lot of water during an abaltion. It is rare and not fatal and was quickly resolved with meds. Just be aware of it.
You will be fine.
Hi Patsy 23
I’ve posted regarding this before, it really depends on your EP, I wasn’t given a choice and just thought it was always done on sedation. I’ve had two and both different pain wise, so tell them if you’re anxious and they should address your concerns, very good luck, hope it all goes well 😊😊
it’s a little daunting to have so many people around you and I was scared but they knocked me out and I woke up fine! No pain at all and only a couple of little bruises. I’m in Australia. And mine worked very well. My cardiologist said I can come off my meds but I opted to stay on them until I see him again . If I have no AF then I’ll stop them.
No not at all! You may have some side effects from the anasthesia and feel tired and a bit for weak for a few days, but will get better each passing day. Also your pulse rate may run high but that too will balance out. Blessing to you!!
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