Ablation tomorrow-finally!

[Chrissy7]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for all your answers to my previous questions it makes my journey easier to know what is behind all of this…

The hospital just called and said that what they will do both the scope tomorrow and the ablation so I don’t have to stay more than one night in hospital if everything goes well.

This makes more sense to me.

One last question:

I have heard many times that they try to find the arrhythmia and cannot set it off when they try stimulating… Last year I had the Ablation study and I couldn’t get anything to happen.. but that was just the left side of my heart.

What are the chances they wont be able to stimulate/find the arrythmia in order to fix it?

(Sorry I don’t know the proper terminology… but I’m sure you all know what I’m referring to)

thank you in advance,

Chrissy

[jeanjeannie50]

Good luck Chrissy, hope tomorrow's ablation works for you.

When I had my 3 ablations, I never even thought about what if they can't stimulate the rogue pulse.

Jean

[BobD Volunteer]

There are some clever drugs which they can infuse to cause AF. Sorry forgotten the names.

[Hidden]

Best wishes! Fingers crossed for you, Chrissy!

[mjames1]

Not sure what they are ablating for, but if this is your first ablation for afib, they generally just do a PVI with RF or Cryo. Most people are not in afib, nor can they stimulate it, so the PVI is done empirically, meaning based on prior evidence.

Jim

[BobD Volunteer in reply to mjames1]

See above Jim. I only know because years ago I proof read a paper on the drug for the doctor who was promoting its use. He wanted a non medical person to see if they could understand what he had written, which I did so it must have been well written.

[Chrissy7 in reply to BobD]

i hope they have those drugs here Bob. There seems to have been various results from “readings” recorded at visits to ER.. tge losted several so hopefully they will show themselves…

[mjames1 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob. Yes, they use various agents like adrenaline to stimulate and try and unmask arrhythmia's during an ep study, however for the average first time ablation, afib is often not unmasked, so it's treated empirically (based on prior evidence) by PVI isolating the pulmonary veins where the majority of afib lies.

In fact, a quite recent study showed that there was no statistical advantage in additional burning outside the pulmonary veins, with the disadvantage of unnecessary scarring. Like maybe yourself, I always thought they would only burn if the found a "hot" circuit -- and maybe some ep's do work this way -- but the several I spoke to, will basically just do a PVI first time around.

If I do need another go around, I will be asking the ep more questions about what his strategy is for tracking down rogue signals, which in my case would be where my aflutter is coming from. But unfortunately, I've found that what tell you and what they actually do aren't necessarily the same thing

Jim

[Chrissy7 in reply to mjames1]

Thank you Jim..

that’s interesting that they just do PVI eben if they cant initiate AF or other rogue signsls… I wondered about that since tgry sped up my heart etc during the ablation study last year and EP coukd make nothing happen…

[mjames1 in reply to Chrissy7]

Yes, they will do the PVI based solely on the fact that you have prior documented afib episodes verified by an ekg. In fact, they will do the same thing for aflutter and SVT, again as long as you have prior documented episodes. Not to say that every ep works like this, but I would say the majority.

Jim

[Singwell in reply to mjames1]

Useful info. Thanks!

[BobD Volunteer in reply to mjames1]

When I had my ATach ablation my EP was cockerhoop that he found four sites firing. Left me with average HR of 85 so some good I suppose.

[KMRobbo in reply to BobD]

Isoprotorenol ?? I have read this is used to "pace" the heart to ensure that there is a more consistent measurement of signals from the PV during ablation and also to try to reinitiate AF AFTER the isolation is done.

Addionally I understood that a similar function was done by elecrical stimulation of the area to be ablated.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to KMRobbo]

It began with an A I think but it is probably 12 years ago now.

[mav7]

Good Luck, Chrissy !

[Chrissy7]

thank you Everyone!!

[KMRobbo]

Best wishes Chrissy.

[Singwell]

I've had 2 ablations and wasn't in AF for either of them. Despite not taking meds for 3 days 😀. You'll be fine. So glad this is happening at last for you Chrissy

[4chickens]

Good luck for today

[Ppiman]

Fingers crossed for you, Chrissy. I read somewhere that most AF arises from around the pulmonary veins, so they might likely ablate and "isolate" that area if no AF is in process during the ablation.

Steve

[Blearyeyed]

Good luck with it , I'm sure they will be able to track down the issue and sort you out. Try to rest and relax today , Bee

[Brizzy50000]

Good luck and all the best I was lucky or unlucky depends on how you look at it, on the way to the hospital I went into AF and was in it still as I went down for the procedure.That was 5 years ago and still AF free

[Chrissy7]

an update.. it was warm and I was nervous so I didnt sleep too much… I consider that good since when Im overtired my AF shows itself/acts up.

Also when I was supposed to go for scope only today and ablation tomorrow the nurse. Who called said the Dr. Would stop my blood thinner tomight…(night before ablation) however she didn't tell me to stop it yesterday so I took it last night… but I take it twice daily so wont take it this morning until I arrive to ask them.. thinking with both procedures now in one day I wont get ablation until this afternoon.

Im goad im tired as I will want to sleep today…