RF ABLATION

[kocoach]

I have a question that has been haunting me for a while now. I have had a couple of Radio Frequency Ablations (RFA) on my knees due to no Cartledge to ease the pain. The Dr. doing the procedure explained that he would burn the pain nerves in and around the knees and that it should take the pain away until the nerves grow back again (which they do) and relief only lasts for about three months for me and they will only do one per year. My question is, is this the same ablation done on the heart for afib and if so does the same effects apply that it will not last but for just a certain amount of time until the nerves grow back again then has to be redone. Hoping someone can shed some light on this for me. Thank You

[BobD Volunteer]

No quite different. The PVI ablation creates scar tissue which blocks the rogue impulses. New pathways can form in time of course but they don't heal up as such.

[kocoach in reply to BobD]

Thank You. Have a Great Day!

[Jalia in reply to BobD]

I've learnt something here Bob! I always thought that the scar tissue healed hence the redo procedure. Obviously wrong ! So much to learn 😀

[CDreamer in reply to Jalia]

Scar tissue can also heal, according so one EP at Patient Day a few years ago so both may be true.

[Hidden in reply to Jalia]

u no rissen (listen) 😉…………..

[CDreamer]

Ablation simply means the removal or destruction of a body part or tissue or its function so you can ablations as a treatment for various ills and for various reasons..

[Geoffa1]

Having had both knees replaced and an RF ablation, all successful, I would suggest any comparison is an apples and artichoke one.When your knee goes bone on bone the only thing that works is a TKR. No more or less than when any bearing surface loses it's hardness.

When you get rogue electrical signals set up in your left atria the only thing that works, if you want to manage the causative issues, is some way of suppressing those signals. At the moment the crude but effective approach is ablation. Maybe into the future other technologies will come along.

[kocoach in reply to Geoffa1]

Thank You. I'm not ready for TKR.